The Labour MP and former Manchester Executive Councillor Mike Amesbury has pleaded guilty to assault at Chester Magistrates’ Court
The District Judge Tanveer Ikram said the case was “within the high culpability category”. He added: “I accept that the injury was not serious, the sentencing guideline suggests a sentence starting point of a high level community order or a range up to a prison sentence.
“I have already made mention of the fact whilst there was a single punch to the face, the victim ended up on the floor and he was further attacked again on the floor. That seems to me an additional aggravating factor.”
Amesbury was caught on CCTV telling 45-year-old Paul Fellows “you won’t threaten your MP again” after assaulting him in Frodsham in the early hours of October 26 following a dispute about a bridge closure
His defence described it as “momentary incident”.
“Rightly or wrongly, Mr Amesbury interpreted what was being said as no longer a conversation but something to which he thought there was another motive to.”
He added: “Whatever sanction this court will impose upon him, it’s not going to have the effect as what has already happened to him. The embarrassment he has suffered, the shame he has suffered, removing the whip from him, a person who has dedicated his life to the public.”
