Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been sentenced to 10 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting constituent Paul Fellows in Frodsham, Cheshire, on October 26, 2024.

Caught on CCTV, the 55-year-old MP for Runcorn and Helsby was seen punching Fellows multiple times after a dispute over a bridge closure, following a night of drinking.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram called it “unprovoked drunken behaviour,” sentencing Amesbury to serve 40% of his term in custody. Suspended by Labour and now an independent, Amesbury faces a recall petition that could trigger a by-election if 10% of constituents sign it.

Reform UK, runner-up in the constituency last election, demanded his immediate resignation, while Labour condemned his actions.

Controversy also surrounds Judge Ikram, whose past includes jailing a man for 20 weeks over a racist WhatsApp joke, yet sparing an OnlyFans model who milkshaked Nigel Farage and two women who glorified the October 7 massacre. Ikram himself was disciplined for liking a LinkedIn post calling Israel a “terrorist state,” raising questions about his impartiality in politically charged cases.