MP Mike Amesbury admits street attack Mike Amesbury,

MP Mike Amesbury admits street  attack
Mike Amesbury, who represents Runcorn and Helsby, pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates' Court.
MP Mike Amesbury admitted assault by beating after a video emerged  of him punching a man to the ground in his Cheshire  constituency.
Amesbury, who represents Runcorn and Helsby, pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul  Fellows, 45, at Chester Magistrates'  Court.
He was suspended from the Labour Party after footage of the  brawl, which  took place in Frodsham, Cheshire, at 02:45 GMT on  October 26 last  year, was released.
The video, which  does not show the  direction of the altercation,  records Amesbury shouting: "You  never threatened the MP again,  did you?"
Alison  Story, prosecuting, told the court  that at  around 2am, Mr. Fellows was in Frodsham town centre and  was walking to a taxi  rank.
He was alone and had been drinking,  he said. Ms Story said:  "Mr Amesbury arrived at the same taxi rank. He was  also alone and had  also been  drinking."
The court heard Mr Fellows recognised Amesbury and approached him to  discuss closing a bridge in the  city.
She said  surveillance video showed an  exchange between them over a period of several minutes, but  there was no aggression or raised  voices.
The
incident was captured  on security camera footage, which  has been widely shared on social  media.
She said:  "At some point Mr Fellows started to  leave but Mr  Amesbury came back into contact."
Amesbury, 55, was then heard  saying "what" several times before  shouting, the court  heard.
Ms Story said Mr Fellows put his hands in his pockets and turned towards the taxi  queue, but,  as he  turned, Amesbury punched him  in the head, knocking him to the  ground. He followed  her down the  street after  she fell and started  hitting her again at least five times,  he said.
Amesbury, who  is now  standing as an independent MP, won his seat  in July's general election with a majority of  14,696 votes.
He had served  in the Labour  Party since 2017 and was a shadow minister between 2018 and 2024. He was previously a local councillor in  Manchester.
District Judge Tanveer Ikram said the guidelines suggested a starting point  for sentencing of  "a high community order or a range up to a prison  sentence". "I have already  mentioned the fact  that although there was  only one punch to the face, the victim ended up on the  ground and was attacked again on the  ground." "That seems to me  to be an additional aggravating factor," he  said.
"I have left all options  open at this  point." »
"shocking"
Amesbury was  released on bail to return for sentencing on  February 24.
Asked about his comments after the hearing, the MP said he wanted to apologise to  Mr. Compagnari.
He told reporters:  "It is very unfortunate, the incident in  October. "I am truly sorry  for Mr Fellows and his  family."
Amesbury's defence  lawyer said the incident was  "unfortunate and  unfortunate".
He said the public  was unaware of the  extent of  the security  measures and threats MPs face  on a daily basis.
He said a man  had already been convicted of  harassing Amesbury and  that last  November he had received a death threat  against his office.
He also said  the comments  had been made that, rightly or wrongly, the MP had  "taken it as  a form of threat to  himself".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer  had earlier called the video  "shocking" and said Labour had  "acted very  quickly" to  respond. After pleading guilty, a party spokesman said: "It is right that Mike Amesbury has taken responsibility for his unacceptable  actions.
"He has been rightly suspended  from the Labour Party following the announcement of the police  investigation."
"We cannot comment further  while legal proceedings are still ongoing."
Amesbury  is expected to  face a prison sentence  - including a suspended sentence  - over a recall petition  to be filed in his  constituency of Runcorn and  Helsby.
This recall petition  must be signed by more than  10% of voters in his constituency to trigger a  by-election.
A recall petition would also be  filed if the House of Commons  decides to suspend him for 10  or more sitting  days. If he  resigned, it would also lead to  by-elections.

[attachment deleted by admin]