The ex-footballer Joey Barton known for his time in Manchester CityNewcastle United and Rangers, was sentenced this Monday to six months of suspended prison for sending “seriously offensive” messages through the social networkwhere he has 2.5 million followers.
The messages were directed at former footballers and analysts Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, as well as presenter Jeremy Vine, with whom he is prohibited from contacting. The Liverpool court declared it guilty of six of the twelve charges brought against him, in addition to imposing community work.
During the trial, Barton, 43, claimed to be the victim of “political persecution” and denied having sought notoriety or interaction on networks. However, the jury determined that the former midfielder “crossed the line between freedom of expression.”
Lawyer Peter Wright KC reinforced this position by stating: “Everyone has the right to express their views, but not to make publications that go beyond what is tolerable in society.”
Barton argued in court that his messages were “dark and stupid humor” and “crude jokes.”insisting that he did not intend to implicate Vine when he suggested he had an interest in children.
This is not his first legal sanction: in March of this same year he had already been sentenced to a sentence equivalent to 12 weeks in prison for attacking his wife in London in 2021. Although he did not go to prison, he did spend a night in the cell. The new sentence will remain suspended for 18 months, as long as he does not reoffend.
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