Joey Barton Convicted for Offensive Social Media Posts

Former soccer player and manager Joey Barton has been found guilty of sending grossly offensive posts on social media regarding broadcaster Jeremy Vine and TV pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court determined that Barton, 43, had “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with six posts shared on X, previously known as Twitter.

He was acquitted of six additional charges related to sending offensive electronic communications with the intent to cause distress or anxiety between January and March 2024.

Barton has been released on bail pending his sentencing on December 8.

After a televised FA Cup match in January 2024 between Crystal Palace and Everton, Barton made a post on X comparing Ward and Aluko to the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary,” which included superimposing their faces onto an image of the notorious serial murderers.

Furthermore, Barton tweeted that Aluko belonged in the “Joseph Stalin/Pol Pot category,” claiming she had “murdered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of football fans’ ears.”

While jurors acquitted him of the Stalin/Pol Pot comparison and the analogy involving the Wests, they deemed the superimposed image to be grossly offensive.

He was also convicted for another post related to Aluko, in which he dismissed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as “a load of s—” and criticized affirmative action as stemming from the “BLM/George Floyd nonsense.”

The ex-Manchester City, Newcastle, and Marseille midfielder, who currently has 2.7 million followers on X, allegedly suggested that Vine had a sexual interest in children after Vine questioned Barton about a potential “brain injury.”

Barton repeatedly referred to Vine as “bike nonce” and provocatively asked, “Have you been on Epstein Island? Are you going to be on these flight logs? You might as well own up now because I’d phone the police if I saw you near a primary school on your bike.”

He was convicted for the Epstein-related post and others, including a tweet that read: “Oh @theJeremyVine, did you Rolf-aroo and Schofield go out on a tandem bike ride? You big bike nonce you.”

Barton also faced conviction for additional tweets about Vine, such as, “If you see this fella by a primary school call 999,” and “Beware Man with Camera on his helmet cruising past primary schools. Call the cops if spotted.”

He was found not guilty on three remaining tweets concerning Vine.

The honorary recorder of Liverpool, Andrew Menary, remarked on Barton’s attire during the verdicts, noting that he wore a Union Jack-patterned scarf, which the judge indicated was likely a stunt to make a statement. The judge stated, “He will not be permitted to do that on the sentencing date.”