On Thursday, January 16, MP Mike Amesbury appeared in court and pleaded guilty to assaulting a man last October. The former Manchester councillor, aged 55, was involved in a violent altercation outside a taxi rank in Frodsham town centre.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, October 26, 2022, when Amesbury punched 45-year-old Paul Fellows in the head, leading to Fellows falling to the ground. Despite Fellows being on the floor, Amesbury continued the assault, hitting him ‘at least five times’.

Prior to the attack, Mr. Fellows recognized Amesbury as the local MP and engaged him in a conversation regarding a bridge closure. Witnesses reported hearing Amesbury shout ‘what’ several times before striking Fellows unexpectedly.

After the altercation, which took place around 2 am, members of the public intervened. Following the assault, Amesbury warned Fellows, “Don’t ever threaten me again,” and further insulted him, stating, “You won’t threaten your MP again will you, you f****** soft lad.”

Mike Amesbury has been suspended from the Labour Party following the incident, although he continues to serve as an independent MP. The Manchester Evening News reports that he has now resigned from the Labour Party, and he must now decide whether to resign as an MP, which would lead to a by-election.

Outside the courthouse, Amesbury referred to the incident as 'highly regrettable' and expressed his sincere apologies to Mr. Fellows and his family.