Ex-Labour MP Mike Amesbury says sorry as he could be jailed for street punch

Frodsham: So, former Labour MP Mike Amesbury is in a bit of hot water. He recently apologized to the guy he punched during a disagreement about a bridge closure. It all went down in the early hours of October 26.

Amesbury pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul Fellows, who is 45, right in the middle of Main Street. The court even showed some CCTV footage that captured the whole thing. Apparently, Amesbury hit Fellows at least five times while he was already on the ground.

After the hearing, Amesbury told reporters he respects the judicial process and feels really bad about what happened. He said he’s sincerely sorry to Fellows and his family. The judge, Tan Ikram, mentioned that all options are still on the table for sentencing, which is set for February 24.

Things got heated when Amesbury told Fellows, “you won’t threaten your MP again” right after he punched him. Initially, Amesbury claimed he was acting in self-defense, but that didn’t hold up in court.

He got suspended from the Labour Party after the footage came out and now he’s sitting as an Independent in Parliament. The prosecutor shared that both men had been drinking that night and that the whole incident started when Fellows approached Amesbury to talk about the bridge closure.

There was no aggression at first, but things escalated quickly. Fellows turned to leave, but Amesbury punched him in the head, knocking him down. Then he followed up with more punches while Fellows was on the ground.

Fellows ended up with a lump on his head and a scraped elbow. Amesbury’s lawyer argued that it was just a momentary lapse in judgment. He also mentioned that Amesbury had received a death threat recently, which might have contributed to his reaction.

If Amesbury ends up with a prison sentence, he could lose his seat in the Commons. Even a suspended sentence could trigger a recall process if enough voters petition for it. The Labour Party has said it’s right for Amesbury to take responsibility for his actions, but they can’t comment further while the legal stuff is still ongoing.