MP Mike Amesbury jailed for 10 weeks for punching constituent in ...

Erica WitheringtonReporting from Chester Magistrates' Court

Before the MP's sentence was passed, the deputy chief magistrate mentioned something we had not heard before — that Amesbury and his victim, Paul Fellows, knew each other at school.

Both had been drinking that night. Whether Mr Fellows, 45, recognised Amesbury from school we do not know, but the judge felt it was pertinent enough to mention.

It was Mr Fellows who approached Amesbury to start a discussion about a bridge closure. In Amesbury’s defence, his lawyer said Amesbury had not wanted to “engage”.

At the time, Amesbury himself told the police he had felt threatened.

But this was all captured on CCTV, and the magistrate was certain that not only was Amesbury’s aggression “unprovoked”, but that as an MP, he could “reasonably expect challenge from a member of the public.”

He concluded that one of the most serious factors was that after Amesbury had punched Mr Fellows to the ground, he continued to repeatedly hit him again, despite his victim not retaliating at all.

If it wasn’t for other people rushing to intervene, the judge said he was sure Amesbury would have done Mr Fellows even more harm.

Was there more history to their relationship? We don’t know. Amesbury certainly felt the need to assert his elevated position: “You won’t ever threaten the MP again, will you?” he shouted back at Mr Fellows, still on the ground, again and again.

The judge said Amesbury ought to have been a role model to others - and only an immediate prison sentence was sufficient punishment.