PA MediaCheshire MP Mike Amesbury, who repeatedly punched a constituent during a row in the street, has been released from prison after a judge agreed to suspend his 10-week sentence for two years.
The Runcorn and Helsby MP, who admitted assault, had been sent straight to jail after he was sentenced at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Hearing Amesbury’s appeal, a judge at Chester Crown Court said that while the length of the sentence had been “spot on”, it should be suspended.
Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett also ordered Amesbury to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work, undertake a 12-month alcohol monitoring programme, go on an anger management course and carry out 20 days of rehabilitation work.
Amesbury pleaded guilty in January to assaulting Paul Fellows, 45, following a row near a taxi rank in Frodsham, Cheshire, in the early hours of 26 October.
His sentence still leaves the 55-year-old Independent MP – who was suspended by Labour bosses after video footage emerged of the assault – at risk of being ousted if his constituents back a recall petition calling for a by-election.
The footage, played again in court, showed Amesbury punching Mr Fellows in the head, knocking him to the ground.
He then punched him at least five more times and swore at him.
Amesbury was then heard saying: “You won’t threaten your MP again will you?”
‘Disgraceful’
Judge Everett told Amesbury the facts showed him “in a truly unfavourable light” and, as an MP, he “should be showing an example”.
He said he could not ignore the MP’s “heavy drinking and fighting”.
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
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