After beating his wife at home in June 2021, former footballer Joey Barton received a 12-week suspended sentence. Barton denied assault by beating after an altercation at their family home. The incident caused his wife, Georgia, to bleed and bruise, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
The 42-year-old, who played for Man City, Newcastle, Marseille, Burnley, Rangers, and QPR and was capped once by England, heard the verdict in court.
“I’m really disappointed with the magistrate’s verdict,” stated. “I intend to appeal this to the High Court and I have to respect that process in between, so that is all I can say on the matter.”
Barton and his wife had been drinking with two other couples as their children slept upstairs before having a drunken family dispute, the court heard. He grabbed and pushed his wife to the ground, then kicked her in the head.
Mrs. Barton called police immediately, saying her husband had “just hit me”, but then wrote to prosecutors to withdraw her claims.
After a two-day hearing, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring convicted Barton of one count of assault by beating on Tuesday, calling his testimony “vague”.
Helena Duong, the prosecutor, called Mrs. Barton’s 999 call to police on the night of the assault “compelling evidence” since she described it “clear terms”.
The prosecutor said Mrs. Barton was not as drunk as she and Barton claimed.
Ms. Duong called Mrs. Barton’s bleeding nose “an injury that really requires an explanation” and “it was, plainly, something not caused by an accident.”
