LONDON, Feb 24 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- UK lawmaker Mike Amesbury was jailed for 10 weeks on Monday for punching a man after a row in the street, reported PA Media/dpa.
The 55-year-old, who has been sitting in parliament as an independent since he was suspended by the governing Labour party after his arrest in October last year, dropped his head as the sentence was passed at Chester Magistrates’ Court.
He was then taken to the cells by two dock officers.
He pleaded guilty at a hearing in January to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45, in the English county of Cheshire in the early hours of October 26.
Sentencing Amesbury, deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: “In this case an immediate custodial sentence is, in my judgement, necessary, as a punishment and a deterrent.”
The court heard Amesbury had been drinking before he arrived at a taxi rank, where Fellows approached him to remonstrate about a bridge closure in the town.
Footage showed Amesbury punching Fellows in the head, knocking him to the ground, then following him on to the road and starting to punch him again, at least five times.
He was then heard saying: “You won’t threaten your MP (member of parliament) again will you?”
Members of the public restrained Amesbury and one was heard saying: “You’ll never be MP after tonight, mate.”
The court heard Fellows had an injury to his head and reported a headache, as well as a superficial graze to his elbow.
When arrested, Amesbury said he had acted in self defence and suggested 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.
-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa
