Former Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been handed a suspended sentence for sending grossly offensive messages on social media to football pundits, Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
None of the three victims will be awarded compensation in this case, the judge told the court.
Speaking on Aluko, Judge Andrew Menary KC: “This was a racially charged and sexist attack.”
The former Manchester City player targeted his three victims on 12 occasions between early January and mid-March 2024.
Barton, 43, has a sizable following on the social media site X and expresses a variety of views, including disapproval of female commentators.
He called ITV football presenters, Ms Aluko and Ms Ward, “the Fred and Rose West of football commentary”, comparing them to the two convicted serial killers.
ITV issued a statement following the comment, which said: “For Joey Barton, an ex-professional player, with a significant social media presence, to target two of our pundits, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, with such vindictive remarks based on gender and to invoke the names of serial killers in doing so, is clearly contemptible and shameful on his part. Football is for everyone.”
Barton continued with the comments and posted a photo of the serial killers, adding “We’ve established they cannot take a joke and understand metaphors. So, I’ll leave you with this..”
Joey Barton has been jailed
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Vine was dragged into the row after questioning Barton’s state of mind.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Joey Barton for 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with the intent to cause distress or anxiety.
He was found guilty of six of the 12 counts and not guilty of six by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court on November 7.
The former footballer was found guilty of two counts of sending grossly offensive communications to Ms Aluko and Ms Ward, and not guilty of three counts relating to them.
Eni Aluko was targeted by the former footballer
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He was found guilty on four counts of sending grossly offensive messages to Jeremy Vine and not guilty on three counts relating to him.
Aluko described Barton’s comments as “abhorrent and the most offensive criticism she has experienced in her life”.
She added: “I remain deeply upset with the malicious comparison to serial killers and feel humiliated given that millions of people will have seen this comparison.”
The football pundit claimed she was too scared to leave her house, leading to cancelled engagements and a loss of income.
Lucy Ward described Barton’s posts as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘hateful’
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She also believed that there was a racist element to the posts, in which the judge agreed.
Ward, in her victim impact statement, describes Barton’s posts as “irresponsible” and “hateful”.
She added: “I am now constantly afraid, not just of the defendant, but the people he has incited against me and his history only heightens my fear. This fear has seeped into every aspect of my life.”
She says the “barrage of hate” has left her “questioning my own worth”.
Joey Barton has previous convictions
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A legal representative for Barton’s argued that the former player showed a substantial amount of insight into his behaviour and has also shown contrition, learning from this experience and “the damage words can do”.
Simon Csoka told the court: “One of the characteristics of social media is that it can cause disinhibition and the perception that words don’t really mean anything.”
He added that Barton understands the restraining orders are there for “a good reason” and will serve as a constant reminder to him not to go too far on social media.
Prosecutor Philip Astery KC reminded the judge of Joey Barton’s previous convictions, which included affray and battery, assault and assaulting his wife.
