London – Former footballer Joey Barton has received a suspended prison sentence for offensive posts on X targeting broadcaster Jeremy Vine and pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.
Liverpool Crown Court found the 43-year-old guilty of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety. The posts, made between January and March 2024, included comparisons of Ward and Aluko to serial killers Fred and Rose West and described Vine using a derogatory term.
Barton, who grew up in Huyton, Merseyside, was sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay over £20,000 in court costs. 
The court heard that the posts followed a televised FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton in January 2024, during which Barton edited a photograph to superimpose the pundits’ faces onto images of the convicted murderers.
After the ruling, Barton told the BBC he regretted his actions, saying the posts were intended as a joke and that he never meant to harm anyone.
