Former footballer Joey Barton has been sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months, for a series of offensive social media posts. The 43-year-old was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court of six counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
The posts, made between January and March 2024, targeted football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Judge Andrew Menary KC described Barton's behaviour as 'a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful'.
Barton compared Ward and Aluko to serial killers Fred and Rose West, and implied Vine was a paedophile. Vine told the court he felt 'physically unsafe' and altered his movements. Ward said the 'incessant bullying nearly destroyed' her.
As part of his sentence, Barton must complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay £23,419 in prosecution costs. He is also subject to two-year restraining orders prohibiting any reference to his victims on social media or broadcast media.
Barton's lawyer said he showed remorse, and Barton told reporters: 'If I could turn back the clock I would. I never meant to hurt anyone. It was a joke that got out of hand.'
