Former footballer Joey Barton has been handed a 12-week suspended jail sentence after he was discovered responsible of assaulting his spouse at their residence in June 2021.
Barton had denied the cost of assault by beating throughout an argument between the pair at their household residence. Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket was instructed that his spouse, Georgia, suffered bleeding and bruising because of the incident.
The 42-year-old, who was capped as soon as by England and performed for Man Metropolis, Newcastle, Marseille, Burnley, Rangers and QPR, was in court docket to listen to the decision.
After leaving court docket, he instructed Sky Sports activities Information he’ll attraction the decision.
“I’m really disappointed with the magistrate’s verdict,” he mentioned. “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.”
The court docket beforehand heard Barton and his spouse had every been consuming alcohol with two different {couples} whereas their kids slept upstairs, earlier than having a drunken row a couple of household matter.
He then grabbed his spouse and pushed her to the bottom earlier than kicking her within the head.
Mrs Barton had known as police instantly after the incident, saying her husband had “just hit me”, however later despatched a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations.
On the identical court docket on Tuesday, chief Justice of the Peace Paul Goldspring rejected Barton’s account of occasions as “vague” as he convicted him of a single cost of assault by beating after a two-day trial.
Prosecutor Helena Duong instructed the court docket Mrs Barton’s 999 name to police on the evening of the incident was “compelling evidence” of the assault, as she had described it in “clear terms”.
Mrs Barton was not as affected by alcohol as each she and Barton had recommended, the prosecutor mentioned.
Ms Duong mentioned Mrs Barton’s bloody nostril was “an injury that really requires an explanation”, including: “It was, plainly, something not caused by an accident.”
Barton beforehand instructed the court docket he admitted entering into an argument along with his spouse, however denied that something “physical” had occurred.
He was arrested in his bed room on the evening of the incident, the place he had been asleep and was nonetheless drunk, the trial was instructed.
Barton was taken to a neighborhood police station the place he gave a no-comment interview.
Simon Csoka, defending Barton, mentioned it was not clear what the time frame was between Mrs Barton receiving the harm and making the 999 name.
Referring to the lump sustained on her head, he instructed the court docket: “There are a number of circumstances where the injury may have been sustained accidentally.”
The previous footballer, of Widnes, Cheshire, was on account of face trial at a magistrates’ court docket in 2022 however the case was adjourned after Mrs Barton despatched a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations.
Within the letter, she mentioned her accidents had been attributable to accident when a good friend moved in to separate the pair.
The couple are nonetheless married and residing collectively, the court docket heard.
Barton, carrying a black jacket, jumper and trousers and glasses, didn’t communicate from the dock however was requested to face as the decision was given.
