March 26 – Joey Barton has never lived a quiet life and yesterday was found guilty of assaulting his wife.
The incident happened on June 2, 2021, when the former Manchester City, Newcastle United, and QPR player pushed his wife to the ground before kicking her in the head at their home in Kew, south-west London.
Barton (pictured) has a long history of violent conduct on and off the pitch, including stubbing out a lit cigar in teammate Jamie Tandy’s eye, when the pair were at Manchester City.
The court heard that Barton and his wife had been drinking when Barton threatened to fight his wife’s brother and father.
Mrs. Barton called 999 saying: “Me husband’s just hit me in the house. He’s in the house, I’m outside.”
Police Officers arrived at the residence about 25 minutes later where PC Daniel Humphry noticed a “golf ball” size lump on her forehead. Her nose had also been bleeding.
She told officers: “I’ve been pushed down and kicked about and stuff. He said he was going to fight with my brother and my dad.”
Barton 42, a tough tackling midfielder, has previously been convicted twice before for violent crimes. Born on Merseyside, Barton was surrounded by violence and saw his brother (Michael) sentenced to life imprisonment for the racially motivated murder of Anthony Walker in 2005.
Prior to the trial, Mrs. Barton withdrew her allegations, however it was ruled that the trial would move forward.
The judge, Mr Goldspring, gave Barton a sentence of 12 weeks’ custody, suspended for a period of two years. He must pay prosecution costs of £2,055 and a victim surcharge of £154.
Speaking to reporters outside court following the sentence, Barton, wearing sunglasses, said he intended to appeal the decision.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1743084011labto1743084011ofdlr1743084011owedi1743084011sni@o1743084011fni1743084011