The former Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed for ten weeks after he punched a man in the street during an argument.
Amesbury was suspended by Labour after he was arrested in October in 2024, a d he pleaded guilty to assaulting Paul Fellows in the Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire in the early hours of 26 October.
He was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison at Chester Magistrate’s Court on Monday and taken to the cells by two dock officers.
Sentencing Amesbury, deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: “In this case an immediate custodial sentence is, in my judgment, necessary, as a punishment and a deterrent.”
The court heard that Amesbury was drinking before he arrived at a taxi rank when Fellow approached him over the bridge closure in the town and footage shows Amesbury hitting him on the head and knocked him to the ground, he then punched him another five times.
Amesbury said, “You won’t threaten your MP again will you, you f****** soft lad?” and members of the public restrained Amesbury.
When he was arrested, Amesbury said he had acted in self-defence as he felt “threatened” and “intimidated”, the court heard.
Richard Derby, defending Amesbury, said, “I have been in this game many decades, I have seen a lot.
“I have never represented a person with such an exemplary character as I have today.”
He said the “ramifications” would also be felt by Amesbury’s six members of staff.
He added: “His actions were completely out of character. Whatever the sentence you pass, it is not going to be anywhere near the sentence that will stay with Mr Amesbury or on his life, especially professionally.”
The judge said: “I have to say I have seen a single punch to the head cause fatal injury in previous cases I have dealt with, but of course I note the limited injuries in this case.”
He added: “As a member of Parliament you could reasonably expect robust challenge from constituents and members of the public.”
He added: “I weigh all the above in my final consideration but am of the view that unprovoked drunken behaviour in the early hours in the streets is too serious to be dealt with by unpaid hours of work, let alone a community order.
“It is only good fortune that the victim falling onto the road suffered only minor injuries and that you were stopped from going further by members of the public.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party took swift action following Mike Amesbury’s completely unacceptable actions and he is no longer a Labour MP or a member of the Labour Party. It is right that Mr Amesbury pleaded guilty and has now been sentenced.
“Local residents in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency deserved better and we look forward to them getting the representation they deserve in the future with a new Labour MP.”
