Suspended has pleaded guilty to assault.

The Runcorn and Helsby MP is accused of attacking a 45-year-old man in Main Street in Frodsham, Cheshire, which was reported to officers at 2.48am on October 26.

Amesbury was after footage emerged which appeared to show him punching a man.

He now sits in Parliament as an Independent.

The 55-year-old has been summonsed to court to face a charge of section 39 assault after a file was passed to prosecutors on October 29.

Alison Storey, prosecuting, told the court at about 2am on October 26 last year victim Paul Fellows was in Frodsham town centre and went to a taxi rank.

He was alone and had been drinking, she said.

Ms Storey said: "Mr Amesbury arrived at the same taxi rank. He too was alone and he too had been drinking."

The court heard Mr Fellows recognised Amesbury and approached him to remonstrate about a bridge closure in the town.

She said CCTV showed engagement between them over a period of several minutes, but no aggression or raised voices.

She said: "At one point Mr Fellows started to walk away but was re-engaged by Mr Amesbury."

Amesbury was heard to say "what" a few times before shouting it, the court heard.

Ms Storey said Mr Fellows put his hands in his pockets and turned towards the taxi queue, but when he turned back Amesbury punched him to the head, knocking him to the ground.

He followed him onto the road after he fell and started to punch him again, at least five times, she said.

Ms Storey told the court he was then heard saying "you won't threaten your MP again will you".

Amesbury spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty plea at the beginning of the hearing.

If Amesbury is sent to prison or given a suspended sentence he could face the prospect of losing his seat in the Commons.

Richard Derby, defending, said the assault was a "momentary incident".

He said: "Rightly or wrongly, Mr Amesbury interpreted what was being said as no longer a conversation but something to which he thought there was another motive to."

He set out security measures which Amesbury had in place and said a death threat was sent to his office in November.

He added: "Whatever sanction this court will impose upon him, it's not going to have the effect as what has already happened to him.

"The embarrassment he has suffered, the shame he has suffered, removing the whip from him, a person who has dedicated his life to the public."

District Judge Tanveer Ikram said: "This case is within the high culpability category. I accept that the injury was not serious, the sentencing guideline suggests a sentence starting point of a high level community order or a range up to a prison sentence.

"I have already made mention of the fact whilst there was a single punch to the face, the victim ended up on the floor and he was further attacked again on the floor. That seems to me an additional aggravating factor.

"I hear all said on the defendant's behalf and I will no doubt hear that again once I have read what the pre-sentence report suggests as workable options in terms of the range of sentence available to the court."

He adjourned the case to February 24 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

He told Amesbury: "I am leaving all options upon at this stage."

A sentence of less than a year, even if it is suspended, would leave him liable to the recall process, which would trigger a by-election if 10% of registered voters in his seat sign a petition calling for it.

A jail term of more than a year would mean Amesbury automatically losing his seat.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "It is right that Mike Amesbury has taken responsibility for his unacceptable actions.

"He was rightly suspended by the Labour Party following the announcement of the police investigation. We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are still ongoing."