Joey Barton has announced he is stepping away from social media days after being found guilty of six counts of sending ‘grossly offensive’ posts on X, formerly Twitter.
Barton, 43, was found guilty on two counts of sending grossly offensive communications to female football commentators Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward and four counts of sending grossly offensive messages to broadcaster Jeremy Vine in a trial at Liverpool crown court last Friday.
The ex-Manchester City, QPR and Newcastle midfielder will be sentenced on December 8 and was warned by trial judge Andrew Menary that all sentencing options remained open.
Barton, who was also cleared of six similar charges by the jury, has now announced that he will quit social media to become ‘constructive and responsible’ after making ‘mistakes’ online.
He said in a statement: ‘Over the past few years, a lot has happened. Professionally, personally and emotionally and it has reached a point where I need to pause and take proper stock of everything. I’ve decided to step away from social media for the time being.
‘This isn’t a decision I’ve taken lightly, but the intensity and pace of the online world, combined with my own pressures and mistakes, have had a real impact on my wellbeing and judgement. I need space to reflect honestly on that, to understand how I’ve handled things, and to improve how I communicate going forward.
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has announced he is stepping away from social media just days after being found guilty of six counts of sending ‘grossly offensive’ posts on X, formerly Twitter
Barton was found guilty of posting six ‘grossly offensive’ tweets about women football commentators Lucy Ward (right) and Eni Aluko and also broadcaster Jeremy Vine (left)
‘With the move to a new studio underway, this feels like the right moment to reset, reassess my priorities, and think carefully about how I want to use my profile in the future in a way that’s constructive, responsible, and true to the values I want to stand for.
‘While I’m taking this break, my accounts will be maintained solely by the admin team. I won’t be posting personally until I feel I’m in the right place to come back. @Common_SensePod
‘Thank you to everyone who has supported me, challenged me, and stuck with me. I’m taking this time because I want to return better, clearer, and more grounded. See you on the other side.’
Barton, who was wearing a Union Jack-style scarf in the dock last week, was granted bail on condition that he did not contact or talk about the three complainants.
The judge also said: ‘He has chosen to adorn himself with a particular flag which I suppose is a stunt to make a point. He will not be permitted to wear it when you come back to court.’
The trial had heard that Barton, 43, had targeted TV football commentators Aluko and Ward and broadcaster Vine with the messages which were designed at causing anxiety and distress.
Aluko has since claimed her punditry work dried up as a consequence of the social media attacks by Barton, following his conviction last Friday.
Prosecutor Peter Wright, KC, said that Barton had previous convictions and that the sentence hearing would be heard with victim impact statements from the complainants.
Barton was told he will not be able to wear a Union Jack-coloured scarf to his sentencing
Aluko has since claimed her punditry work dried up as a consequence of the attacks by Barton
He also said the prosecution would be inviting the judge to consider whether the offences concerning Aluko were racially motivated.
Barton was found not guilty of comparing Ward and Aluko to Fred and Rose West but guilty of superimposing the killers’ faces on to the two women on a Twitter feed.
He was found guilty of calling Vine a ‘big bike nonce’ in a post linking him with Rolf Harris and Phillip Schofield.
He was also found guilty of taunting Vine by saying, ‘Have you been on Epstein island?’, but he was cleared of tweets with the hashtag ‘down with bike nonce’.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Callum Bryce of CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: ‘Between early January and mid-March 2024, Mr Barton subjected three public figures to offences of malicious communications.
‘Mr Barton said in his evidence before the court that in some of his messages he was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way and that in others he was simply joking.
‘The finding of the jury confirmed that his conduct had gone beyond any joke and his messages were grossly offensive with the purpose of causing anxiety and distress to his victims.’
More to follow.
