JOEY BARTON SENTENCED FOR ASSAULT IN KEW, LONDON

Joey Barton, the former professional footballer, has received a 12-week prison sentence that has been suspended, following his conviction for assaulting his wife, Georgia Barton, at their family residence in Kew, located in south-west London. The incident, which took place in June 2021, involved Barton physically attacking his wife during a heated argument while under the influence of alcohol.

According to court reports, Barton pushed Georgia to the floor and then kicked her in the head, resulting in visible injuries including a lump on her forehead and a bleeding nose. The altercation occurred in their home, with two other couples present at the time. Witnesses intervened to separate the couple, with friends stepping in to pull Barton away from Georgia during the confrontation.

During the trial, Barton claimed that he had argued with his wife but denied any physical altercation. However, the court dismissed his account as “vague” and found him guilty of a single charge of assault by beating after a two-day trial at Westminster magistrates court. The proceedings had been delayed initially in 2022 when Georgia Barton retracted her allegations, but the case was revived following new evidence.

On the night of the incident, Georgia Barton called the police shortly after 11 pm to report that she had been struck by her husband inside their Kew home. During the 999 emergency call, she tearfully explained to the operator, “Me husband’s just hit me in the house. He’s in the house, I’m outside.” When asked if such an incident had happened before, she responded, “No, it’s the first time,” and confirmed she had been hit “in the face.”

Police officers arrived at the scene around 11:30 pm. An officer offered her an ice pack for her head injury, but Georgia described being pushed down and kicked about, also mentioning that Barton had said he was going to fight with her brother and father. Prosecutor Helena Duong stated during the trial that the altercation stemmed from a verbal disagreement over a family matter. She detailed that Barton “grabbed her and pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head,” and when a friend attempted to intervene, Barton pushed him away and said, “Don’t disrespect me.”

Barton was arrested at approximately midnight while still in his bedroom, where he was found to be intoxicated. He did not respond when questioned by police. During his testimony, Barton admitted to having argued with his wife after their friends became involved in a disagreement, but he denied any physical violence. He explained, “That led to us having a disagreement. I stupidly took my mate’s side, I said his wife was out of order,” and described the incident as petty name-calling that escalated. When asked if he had kicked his wife, he denied it, stating, “If I kicked someone in the head there would be a lot more damage than what’s alleged in this case.”

Despite the incident, the couple remains married and continues to live together in Kew. An earlier trial scheduled for 2022 was postponed after Georgia Barton wrote to prosecutors, claiming her injuries resulted from an accidental fall when a friend intervened to separate her from Barton. She stated, “I’m not a victim … I want to move on with my life.” Prosecutors decided not to call her as a witness, and the judge paused the proceedings, citing concerns that a fair trial for Barton might be compromised. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, subsequently appealed this decision at the High Court in London. In a ruling issued in June, two senior judges upheld the appeal, ordering that Barton face a trial for the allegations before a different judge.