CHESTER, England – A British lawmaker pleaded guilty on Thursday to common assault after he punched a passerby who he said had been threatening him while he was enjoying a night out.

Mike Amesbury was suspended from the governing Labour Party after CCTV and video footage showed him throwing a punch at a man in October, and repeatedly hitting him after the man was knocked to the ground.

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After the incident, Amesbury, the member of parliament for Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England, said he felt threatened on the street after an evening out with friends.

Amesbury, 55, appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court on Thursday when he pleaded guilty to a single count of common assault.

Prosecutor Alison Storey said Amesbury assaulted the man at around 2 am on Oct 26 last year, after a discussion about the closure of a local bridge.

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Amesbury punched the man and knocked him to the floor, before punching him at least five times when he was on the ground, Storey added. He then told his victim: "You won't threaten your MP again, will you?"

Lawmakers convicted of an offence can potentially be removed from office if enough constituents support a petition calling for a new election for their parliamentary seat.