Joey Barton, the former football player, has been found guilty of assaulting his wife by kicking her in the head while their children were sleeping upstairs. He has avoided imprisonment.
Barton assaulted Georgia Barton at their London home after they returned from a night out with friends where they had been drinking.
Barton, 42, was convicted of assault at Westminster Magistrates` Court following a trial.
He received a suspended 12-week jail sentence and was ordered to pay £2,183.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed the former Man City player`s account as “vague” when delivering the guilty verdict.
He stated, “You have been found guilty of assaulting your wife.”
“The home is where your wife should feel safest, especially with you, her husband. This was not the case.”
Following the sentencing, Barton expressed his “disappointment” with the verdict and announced his intention to appeal at the High Court.
The court was informed that Barton and Georgia, who remain married, had consumed “four or five bottles of wine” before the assault.
Barton reportedly threatened to fight his wife`s brother and father during a “verbal argument about a family issue.”
Subsequently, Barton “grabbed Georgia, pushed her to the ground, and kicked her in the head.”
When a friend tried to intervene, Barton pushed him away, saying, “don`t disrespect me.”
Georgia, who sustained a forehead lump and a bloody nose, contacted the police shortly after 11 pm, reporting that her husband had hit her.
In a tearful emergency call played in court, she stated, “My husband has just hit me in the house.”
“He is in the house, and I am outside.”
When asked if similar incidents had occurred before, she said, “No, it`s the first time,” adding that she was hit “in the face.”
Police arrived around 11:30 pm, and Georgia told them, “I’ve been pushed down and kicked about.”
“He said he was going to fight with my brother and my dad.”
Barton was arrested around midnight in his bedroom, where he was asleep and still intoxicated.
In his testimony, Barton admitted to having “six to eight” drinks when the incident happened.
He told the court about a “disagreement” and how he “stupidly took my mate`s side.”
Barton continued, “We started with petty name-calling.”
“We became more agitated and got close to each other.”
The former footballer admitted he could “occasionally” lose his temper.
However, he denied the assault claims, arguing, “If I had kicked someone in the head, there would be more severe injuries than what is alleged.”
Georgia testified that she and her husband were “nose to nose” at one point, but there was no physical altercation.
She claimed to have felt a “collision” to her head that “stunned me and made me fall backwards.”
Georgia, who admitted to drinking a lot of wine that day, added, “It couldn`t have been Joe; he was too far away.”
Barton was initially scheduled for trial in 2022 after denying the assault charge, but it was stopped when Georgia withdrew her statements.
Last year, the High Court ruled that the trial could proceed, finding the previous decision to drop the case “wrong in principle.”
Barton married his childhood sweetheart in a grand ceremony in 2019 at a country house in Oxfordshire.
They have two children: a son born in 2011 and a daughter born in 2014.
Women`s Aid provides advice for victims and their families:
- Keep your phone nearby at all times.
- Contact charities for assistance, such as Women’s Aid live chat and SupportLine.
- Call 999 if you are in immediate danger.
- Learn about the Silent Solution, which allows reporting abuse by dialing “55” without speaking.
- Always carry some money, including change for emergencies.
- If you suspect an imminent attack, move to a lower-risk area in the house with an exit and a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage where potential weapons are present. Stay clear of rooms where you could be trapped, like bathrooms or small spaces.
SupportLine is available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200 for domestic abuse victims. Their email support service is available weekdays and weekends during crises – [email protected].
Women’s Aid offers a live chat service weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the free 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247.
Barton began his football career with Manchester City in 2002, making 150 appearances after progressing through their youth system.
He later transferred to Newcastle United in July 2007 for £5.8 million and then to Queens Park Rangers in August 2011.
Barton was loaned to Marseille in the 2012-13 season before joining Burnley for a season, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League.
Barton earned one cap for England in 2007.
He later managed Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.
