Former footballer Joey Barton has been found guilty of assault by beating after pushing his wife, Georgia Barton, to the floor and kicking her in the head during an argument at their home in Kew, south-west London, in June 2021, reports the BBC.
The 42-year-old midfielder, who previously played for Manchester City and QPR, was involved in a drunken row with his wife after a night of drinking with two other couples. The couple’s children were sleeping upstairs at the time.
According to a BBC report, the argument started when Barton threatened to fight his wife’s brother and father, and it escalated into violence.
Mrs Barton, aged 38, was left with a lump on her forehead and a bleeding nose. She immediately called the police, telling them her husband had “just hit” her. However, she later retracted her statement, sending a letter to the prosecution.
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Despite this, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring rejected Barton’s account of the events as “vague” and convicted him. Although he acknowledged that Barton had “a record of violence,” Goldspring decided that an immediate custodial sentence was unnecessary.
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The magistrate noted that the couple remained in a “happy relationship” with a young child, which he did not wish to interfere with.
Barton says he would appeal
After the sentencing, Barton expressed his disappointment with the verdict and stated he would appeal the decision at the High Court, per reports.
Prosecution barrister Helena Duong referred to Mrs Barton’s 999 call as “compelling evidence,” stating that her bloody nose “was plainly something not caused by an accident.”
Barton had previously denied any physical contact during the argument, admitting only to the verbal dispute. He was arrested later that night while still drunk.
Barton was initially due to face trial in 2022, but proceedings were delayed when Mrs Barton sent a letter retracting her allegations.
The case resumed after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) successfully appealed, and Barton was ordered to pay £2,183 in victim surcharge and prosecution costs within seven days.
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Barton was recently in the news for backing Jamie Carragher’s take that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is not a major tournament, and claiming no African defender is better than the Carragher.
