Former Footballer Crosses Line from Free Speech to Crime
Former professional footballer Joey Barton has been convicted for posting grossly offensive content on social media that targeted sports pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, along with broadcaster Jeremy Vine. The 43-year-old was found guilty on Friday at Liverpool Crown Court after a jury determined he had crossed the line between free speech and criminal behaviour with six separate posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The conviction comes after Barton shared deeply offensive comparisons and images targeting the broadcasters between January and March 2024. While he was cleared of six other counts, the jury found him guilty of multiple posts that were deemed grossly offensive under UK law.
Impact on Aluko's Broadcasting Career
Eni Aluko has revealed that her punditry work significantly decreased following Barton's social media attacks. The former Lionesses star told The i Paper that she experienced a noticeable reduction in television opportunities during the 18-month litigation period.
"I would have liked to have seen a lot more courage on the broadcasters' part to say 'this is not something we're going to accept'," Aluko stated. "When you look at the 12-month period, or 18-month period during this litigation, I have done the least TV I've ever done."
Despite ITV issuing a strong statement condemning Barton's comments as "contemptible and shameful" at the time, Aluko suggested broadcasters lacked the courage to continue supporting her on screen. She expressed disappointment that no conversations were held about how to handle online trolls, and instead found herself gradually disappearing from television coverage.
The Offensive Posts and Legal Proceedings
The court heard how Barton compared Aluko and Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West following a televised FA Cup tie between Crystal Palace and Everton in January 2024. In one particularly disturbing post, he superimposed the faces of the two women onto a photograph of the notorious murderers.
While jurors found him not guilty regarding the West comparison itself, they ruled that the superimposed image was grossly offensive. Barton was also convicted for posts describing Aluko as being in the "Joseph Stalin/Pol Pot category" and for comments attacking diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In relation to Jeremy Vine, Barton repeatedly referred to the broadcaster as "bike nonce" and suggested he had connections to Jeffrey Epstein. The former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers midfielder was convicted for these posts, though cleared of three other tweets about Vine.
Real-World Consequences and Safety Concerns
Aluko revealed the profound impact the online abuse had on her personal safety and mental wellbeing. She described fearing that she could be stabbed as a consequence of Barton's posts, explaining how such high-profile attacks can embolden others to escalate their behaviour.
"As much as people think it's just words online, it spills over into real world ideas and real world harm," Aluko said. "It only takes one of those millions of people to have a knife or to think that they're justified to attack you before we're talking about something really serious."
She referenced receiving a message from a 20-year-old man who wrote "I should be shot," illustrating how Barton's posts encouraged others to engage in similar abusive behaviour.
Barton's Defence and Sentencing
During the trial, Barton claimed he was the victim of a "political prosecution" and denied that his aim was to gain clicks or promote himself. He described his posts about Ward and Aluko as "dark and stupid humour" and said he was trying to make serious points in a provocative manner.
Regarding his tweets about Jeremy Vine, Barton claimed "bike nonce" was a known phrase used by non-cyclists about cyclists and insisted he had no intention of implying Vine was a paedophile.
However, prosecutor Peter Wright KC told the jury that Barton was "an undiluted, unapologetic bully" who took pleasure in posting slurs against the complainants. He described Ward, Aluko and Vine as the "collateral damage of his self-promotion."
Judge Menary instructed jurors that the term "grossly offensive" set a high threshold, noting that the criminal law doesn't punish bad manners, sharp humour or unpopular opinions, but only intervenes when content is of such an extreme character that society would say it crosses the line of what can be tolerated.
Barton has been bailed ahead of sentencing on December 8, where he will learn the consequences of his social media conduct. The case sets an important precedent for online behaviour and the boundaries of free speech in the digital age.
