Jonathan May-Bowles makes his way past cameras as he arrives at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London July 29, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

LONDON -- A British protester who threw a plate of foam at Rupert Murdoch during a parliamentary hearing into the phone-hacking scandal pleaded guilty to assault on Friday.

Jonathan May-Bowles, a comedian who uses the name Jonnie Marbles, also admitted causing harassment, alarm or distress during a short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London.

The 26-year-old, from Windsor, west of London, hurled the "foam pie" at Murdoch's face towards the end of a meeting of the British parliament's influential Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

The 80-year-old's third wife, Wendi Deng, who was sitting behind the media mogul, immediately jumped up and appeared to hit the attacker. The parliamentary hearing was adjourned for 15 minutes and the room was cleared. Murdoch returned to finish giving his evidence, without his foam-spattered jacket.

May-Bowles will be sentenced later.

Wendi Deng (2nd L) lunges towards a man trying to attack her husband, News Corp Chief Executive and Chairman Rupert Murdoch, during a parliamentary committee hearing on phone hacking at Portcullis House in London July 19, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

A parody version of a fictional New York Post front page created by the online version of Vanity Fair shows News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch covered in shaving foam in this handout image from Vanity Fair released July 20, 2011. The New York Post, which usually reports the humiliation of the powerful with gleefully pun-filled headlines and outlandish photo montages, whiffed on the chance to make a splash with the News Corp chairman's testimony on Tuesday before the British parliament. [Photo/Agencies]