Former footballer Joey Barton has been found guilty of assault after
kicking his wife in the head during a drunken altercation in 2021.
.jpg "Joey Barton Found Guilty of Assaulting Wife")
London, UK – Former footballer Joey
Barton, 42, has been found guilty of assault by beating after attacking his
wife, Georgia Barton, 38, during a drunken argument at their home in Kew,
south-west London, in June 2021.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that Barton, a former Manchester
City and QPR midfielder, pushed his wife to the ground and kicked her in the
head after threatening to fight her brother and father. The couple had been
drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs.
Barton, who was managing Bristol Rovers at the time, received a 12-week
suspended prison sentence. The court was told that Mrs. Barton suffered a lump
on her forehead and a bleeding nose. She initially called 999 immediately after
the attack, telling police her husband had "just hit" her. However,
she later retracted her allegations in a letter to the prosecution.
Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed Barton's defense as
"vague" and ruled against him, though he stopped short of imposing an
immediate custodial sentence. Goldspring cited the couple's ongoing
relationship and their young child as mitigating factors.
'Clearly No Accident'
Speaking outside the court, Barton expressed disappointment in the
verdict and stated his intent to appeal at the High Court. Prosecution
barrister Helena Duong highlighted Mrs. Barton's 999 call as compelling
evidence, arguing that her bloody nose was not caused by accident.
Barton, who was arrested in his bedroom on the night of the incident
while still intoxicated, denied any physical altercation with his wife. The
court heard that he was initially set to face trial in 2022, but proceedings
were delayed after Mrs. Barton retracted her allegations, claiming her injuries
resulted from an accidental collision with a friend who attempted to separate
them.
A judge initially paused the trial, deeming it potentially unfair, but
the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) successfully appealed the decision,
leading to Barton's conviction before a different judge.
Barton has also been ordered to pay £2,183 in victim surcharge and
prosecution costs within seven days.