Former footballer and manager Joey Barton has issued a public apology on social media platform X and agreed to pay £75,000 to broadcaster Jeremy Vine, following a High Court ruling that calling Vine a 'bike nonce' was defamatory. The payment covers damages and legal costs.
Vine sued Barton after the ex-footballer called him a 'bike nonce' and a 'pedo defender' during an online argument in January and March this year. In May, the High Court ruled the posts could defame Vine, with Justice Steyn stating that a hypothetical reader would not see it as 'meaningless abuse' but as a statement of fact.
In his apology posted on Tuesday, Barton admitted he had accused Vine of having a sexual interest in children and created a hashtag viewed millions of times. He said: 'I recognise that this is a very serious allegation. It is untrue. I do not believe that Mr Vine has a sexual interest in children, and I wish to set the record straight.'
Barton also apologised for posts claiming Vine advocated forced vaccination, based on an edited clip, and for taunting Vine over his legal complaint. He agreed not to repeat the allegations and to pay £75,000 in damages and legal costs.
Lawyers for Vine said the abuse began after Barton called female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward 'the Fred and Rose West of football commentary'. Vine had responded by questioning if Barton had a brain injury, which his lawyer said triggered a 'calculated and sustained attack'.
Barton's lawyers had argued the posts were 'abuse posted in the heat of the moment' with no defamatory meaning, but the court rejected this. The case highlights the serious consequences of online defamation.
