Joey Barton Convicted of Offensive Social Media Posts

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court has convicted former professional footballer Joey Barton of six counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications intended to cause distress or anxiety. The 43-year-old, known for his playing career with clubs including Manchester City, Newcastle United and Everton, targeted broadcaster Jeremy Vine and television football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, between January and March 2024. Barton was acquitted on the remaining six counts.

The convictions stem from posts in which Barton compared Aluko and Ward to the serial killers Fred and Rose West, including one where he superimposed their faces onto a photograph of the couple. These remarks followed their commentary on an FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton broadcast on ITV in January 2024. Barton criticized their coverage, calling it a "new low" and questioning Aluko's ability to kick a ball properly. He also likened Aluko's commentary to the actions of Joseph Stalin. Separately, Barton referred to Vine multiple times as a "bike nonce," a slang term implying pedophilia, and questioned whether Vine had visited Jeffrey Epstein's...