Joey Barton is found GUILTY of six charges in ‘offensive tweets’ trial as details emerge from the Liverpool Crown Court this week.
The 43 year old ex-footballer turned manager and podcaster denied 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress/anxiety (under the Malicious Communications Act).
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court found that Barton had crossed the line between free speech and a crime with six posts that he published on X / Twitter.
He was cleared of six other counts that he sent a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety between January and March 2024.
Barton claimed the posts were “dark humour,” “crude banter,” or provocative commentary, denied implying Vine was a paedophile, and called the case a “political prosecution.”
He was cleared on a mock apology post likening Aluko to Stalin or Pol Pot for “murdering” fans’ ears.
The judge barred Barton from wearing a Union Jack scarf in the dock as a “stunt” and reminded him of bail conditions banning mention of the victims before sentencing on the 8th of December.
Tim Scott, reporting from Liverpool Crown Court, expressed to Granada Reports: “Opening for the prosecution, Peter Wright KC told the jury that while everyone is entitled to express views that are cutting or controversial, what someone is not entitled to post is what is beyond the pale of what is tolerant in society.
“And he said that Joey Barton’s post crossed the line between free speech and crime. Barton’s posts in question referred to the female football pundits, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward.
“He described them, Joey Barton described them, as the Fred and Rose West of football commentary.
“And he later posted a picture of Fred and Rose West with the football commentators faces superimposed.
“He also posted, ‘get them off the men’s football, off the telly, only there to tick boxes all on the back of BLM and George Floyd nonsense’.
“When ITV, who broadcast the game where the two pundits appeared, responded by saying that football is for everyone, Barton replied with ‘shut up, keep them off the telly, they’re ruining the game for every one of us’.
“Barton’s other target on X was the broadcaster Jeremy Vine. He’s charged relating to seven posts he made about him.
“When Jeremy Vine had posted asking if Barton was OK in the light of what he’d been posting about the football pundits, Barton responded by calling Jeremy Vine a bike-nonce.
“Barton later posted asking if he’d been to Epstein Island and said that he’d phoned police if he saw Jeremy Vine near a primary school.
“The jury heard that Barton remained silent when questioned under caution by police.”
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: “He sent a post to Jeremy Vine’s X account in which he referred to him as ‘you big bike nonce’.”
Lucy Ward told jurors the posts by Mr Barton “intimidated” her.
She said: “Fred and Rose West tortured, sexually abused and killed children, so I couldn’t really work out why I was being called that. At first it was very, very harsh but then obviously it continued.
“It was getting to the stage now where I got a little scared, physically scared really.”
The football pundit said: “I felt vulnerable going to games.”
Eni Aluko said she was “astounded” by the posts as she had previously exchanged “friendly, supportive” private messages with Joey Barton.
She said to the court that his posts left her “devastated”, adding “for about a week I couldn’t leave my house”.
Jeremy Vine told the trial that being called a “bike nonce” left him “completely devastated” and resulted in him having “sleepless nights” and feeling “scared and upset”.
He claimed Joey Barton posted his address online which made him feel “physically unsafe” and he took advice on his security.
When Joey Barton took to the stand he told the court he accepted his posts had caused anxiety and distress to “the girls and Jeremy” but that had not been his intention.
When questioned what he intended to mean with his Fred and Rose West comparison, he said: “They were just murdering the broadcast in my opinion.
“I was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way. It was dark and stupid but it was a joke.”
He said his “bike nonce” references to Mr Vine in various posts were in response to the presenter “trying to goad him” to go on his Channel 5 show to discuss his views about female football pundits.
Joey Barton said: “I was trying to make a joke of it. I didn’t intend to call him a paedophile.
“My understanding of the word ‘bike nonce’ is it is someone who is massively into something.”
Barton also told a jury he believes he is the victim of a “political prosecution” and denied he sent alleged grossly offensive social media posts to “get clicks and promote himself”.
He told court he didn’t intend to call broadcaster Jeremy Vine a paedophile and described it as a “bad, dark, juvenile joke
“I have not at any point tried to cause distress or anxiety or risk his life or his daughters’ lives.
“I don’t want people to fear for their lives, I’m a dad.
“I cannot believe I’m on trial for this. Words on a social media site.”
Joey Barton: “If you are public facing, you have to accept there is going to be criticism and feedback you don’t like.”
Peter Wright KC said: “Is the truth that, under the guise of your right to freedom of expression, you engage in personal slur and grossly offensive remarks to those who you feel are fair game?”
Barton: “I sometimes use the wrong language. I was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way.”
Wright: “You have got these views on women and their role with men’s football, and they were strongly expressed by you.”
Barton: “Yes.”
Wright: “And if someone challenges you on that you double down.”
Barton: “No, I defend my position.”
Wright: “You say to the jury that your purpose here, first in respect of the female pundits or co-commentators, was what you were seeking to do was to provoke a debate about it.”
Barton: “That was my intention.”
Barton continued to say he felt he was subject to a “political prosecution” from the first knock on his door by police.
“This was the state, in my opinion, trying to squeeze me into the ground.
“It’s a spat between celebrities online.
“I believe this is a highly politicised case.”
Wright: “You have sought to deflect, divert and avoid. That’s the position, isn’t it?”
Barton: “This is a state prosecution I believe for whatever their agendas are in pushing on people.”
