Gobby Joey Barton sensationally dodged jail after sharing warped posts comparing female football pundits to serial killers Fred and Rose West
Gobby Joey Barton sensationally dodged jail after sharing warped posts comparing female football pundits to serial killers Fred and Rose West. The former footballer, 43, lashed out at Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward after their coverage of the 2024 FA Cup clash between Crystal Palace and Everton.
He ranted former Chelsea and Juventus winger Eni, 38, “can’t even kick a ball properly” while also hitting out at ex-English footballer-turned sports broadcaster Lucy, 51. The ex-Manchester City, Newcastle United and Marseille player – now a social commentator with 2.7 million followers on X – also spat at the pair: “Your coverage of the game EFC last night, took it to a new low.
“Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, the Fred and Rose West of football commentary.”
He also superimposed the faces of the two women on to a photograph of the serial child murderers and sexual abusers. Barton went on to draw parallels between Eni and a killer dictator – saying she belonged in the “Joseph Stalin category” for “murdering hundreds of thousands of fans’ ears”.
He also rambled TV presenter Jeremy Vine, 60, was a “bike nonce” during his social media outpourings.
But Barton on Monday (December 8) avoided jail after he was convicted of six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress. Instead, he was let off with six months in custody – suspended for 18 months.
Barton – renowned for his social media tirades –will also have to complete rehabilitation work and 200 hours of unpaid community work.
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Barton had “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with six posts he made on X. Judge Andrew Menary KC said while sentencing the ex-footballer his posts targeting Eni were “racially aggravated”.
Barton was found not guilty by a jury on his Stalin and Wests comparisons – but it was decided his superimposed image using the serial killers’ image was grossly offensive. He was also convicted of targeting BBC star Vine by repeatedly referring to him as a “bike nonce”, but cleared over three posts.
Barton was also ordered to pay the prosecution’s costs of more than £23,000 within 28 days.
Barton had asked Vine: “Have you been on Epstein Island? Are you going to be on these flight logs? Might as well own up now because I’d phone the police if I saw you near a primary school on ya bike.”
In another post about Eni, Barton said: “Only there to tick boxes. DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is a load of s***. Affirmative action. All off the back of the BLM (Black Lives Matter)/George Floyd nonsense.”
Barton told jurors he is convinced he’s the victim of a “political prosecution” and denied his aim was “to get clicks and promote himself”. He also claimed the posts about Ward and Aluko were “dark and stupid humour”.
The former footballer also defended himself by claiming he was attempting to make a “serious point” in a “provocative way”. He labelled his Epstein remark to Jeremy “crude banter”. And Barton said “bike nonce” was a known phrase used by non-cyclists about cyclists.
Eni said in a victim impact statement his comments about her were “abhorrent” and amounted to “the most offensive criticism she has experienced in her life”. She added: “I remain deeply upset with the malicious comparison to serial killers and feel humiliated given that millions of people will have seen this comparison.
“It was unwarranted and unjustified, she says, adding that as a result she was too scared to leave her house resulting in cancelled engagements and loss of income.”
Eni also told the court she has been forced to ramp up her security and said she believes there was a racist element to Barton’s posts.
Lucy Ward said the ex-footballer’s abuse was “irresponsible” and “hateful”. She added the ex-Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers manager’s “barrage of hate” has left her “questioning my own worth”.
Jeremy described Barton’s actions as “profoundly traumatising”. He added: “I felt my reputation was sullied. Joey Barton is a small man who feeds off the pain of others.”