The Premiership footballer Joey Barton was jailed yesterday for his part in
a violent street attack in Liverpool city centre.
The incident happened on 27 December last year while Barton, who was
transferred to Newcastle United from Manchester City last summer for a fee
of £5.8m, was on bail awaiting trial for two other alleged offences. He
punched one man up to 20 times and left a a 16-year-old boy with broken
teeth.
Sentencing him to six months' imprisonment for assault and affray, Judge
Henry Globe QC said Barton had acted in "an extremely violent and aggressive
manner".
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Barton, 25, had drunk 10 pints and five
bottles of lager during a night out with his brother Andrew, 20, cousin
Nadine Wilson, 27, and other friends.
CCTV images show Barton punching a man to the ground. He then straddled the
man and punched him up to 15 more times as his brother threw food at the
victim. Moments later Barton turned his fury on Jordan Spencer, 16, after
Wilson made "loud and aggressive" provocations, hitting him so hard that the
teenager required extensive dental treatment to repair the damage.
Barton's brother and his cousin also pleaded guilty to their part in the
assaults. Andrew Barton was jailed for four months, suspended for two years.
Wilson received a six-month sentence, suspendedfor two years. Judge Globe
told Joey Barton: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is
you."
In March last year, he was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal
damage after an incident involving a taxi driver. He has denied the charges
and and is awaiting trial.
In May 2007, Barton was involved in an incident for which he has been
charged with occasioning actual bodily harm. He will stand trial next month.
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