MP Mike Amesbury is due to appear in court accused of assault. The former Manchester councillor and Member of Parliament for Runcorn and Helsby was summonsed by police to appear at Chester magistrates court today (Thursday, January 16).
He is accused of assaulting a 45-year-old man during an alleged incident in Frodsham, in the early hours of Saturday, October 26 last year. Mr Amesbury, 55, is expected to be asked to enter his plea at court today.
He was suspended from the Labour Party after footage of the alleged incident emerged online. He now sits as an independent.
Cheshire Police previously said: “A man has been summonsed to court in relation to an assault in Frodsham. Mike Amesbury MP, of Frodsham, Cheshire, has been summonsed to court to face the charge of section 39 assault.
“The 55-year-old is set to appear at Chester Magistrates Court on Thursday 16 January 2025. The charge relates to reports of an assault on a 45-year-old man on Main Street, Frodsham, which was reported to police at 2.48am on Saturday 26 October.”
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.
“The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.”
In a statement issued previously, the MP said: “I have today been summonsed to court to face a charge of common assault following an incident in Frodsham last month, which was deeply regrettable. I am continuing to co-operate with police and given this is an ongoing case I cannot comment further.”
Reporter Andrew Bardsley is in court for the hearing and will post live updates in the blog below….