Joey Barton Sentenced: Football Icon Faces Legal Consequences for Offensive Posts

Joey Barton, former British soccer player and coach, received a suspended jail sentence for sending offensive posts to ex-players and a broadcaster. Convicted of multiple charges, Barton's posts were deemed racially and offensively aggravated. He was also ordered to perform community service and maintain restrictions on contacting victims.

Joey Barton, the former British soccer player and coach, was handed a suspended jail sentence on Monday for posting offensive content on social media targeting two former players and a broadcaster. Barton, 43, was convicted last month over messages sent via X to ex-England international Eni Aluko, former player-turned-pundit Lucy Ward, and BBC presenter Jeremy Vine.

The prosecution argued that Barton's messages crossed the boundaries of free speech, constituting a crime. Barton defended his actions as provocative remarks intended to be banter, not to cause distress. Despite his defense, he was found guilty of six out of twelve charges at Liverpool Crown Court. Judge Andrew Menary criticized Barton's comments about Aluko, terming them as aggravated by racial hostility.

The court sentenced Barton to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with a restraining order preventing him from contacting Aluko, Ward, and Vine. Additionally, Barton is required to undertake community service. The former footballer's legal troubles have been recurrent, including previous convictions for assault and a separate libel suit against Vine in 2024.

(With inputs from agencies.)