Joey Barton handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence after kicking wife in head

By Phoebe Ann Brooks

Joey Barton has been found guilty of a single charge of assault by beating and handed a 12-week suspended sentence for assaulting his wife in their home in Kew, south-west London in June 2021.

Georgia Barton, 38, endured a harrowing assault at the hands of her husband, former footballer Joey Barton while their children were asleep upstairs. 

Georgia and Joey Barton were in their home with two other couples when the assault occurred. The courts heard that during a drunken row, Joey Barton, 42, pushed Georgia Barton to the ground and began kicking her in the head, leaving her with a lump on her head and bloody nose.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Paul Goldspring, Chief Magistrate described Joey Barton’s original account of the incident as “vague”. Initially Joey Barton told the court that while there had been an argument, nothing “physical” happened. 

Helena Duong, of the prosecution said: “There had been a verbal disagreement about a family matter.”

Duong said: “[Joey Barton] grabbed her and pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head.”

She added that when a friend eventually came to pull Joey Barton off his wife, he said: “Don’t disrespect me.”

Joey Barton told the court that the group got into a disagreement and said: “We just got into petty name calling. We ended up getting a bit more agitated.”

He was asked by the prosecution if he was “...someone that on occasion might lose your temper?”

“Yep,” he replied. He denied that he had kicked his wife but added: “If I kicked someone in the head there would be a lot more damage than what’s alleged in this case.”

Just after 11pm Georgia Barton called the police. The tearful recording, played in court, captured her saying: “Me husband’s just hit me in the house. He’s in the house, I’m outside.” 

Police arrived at the house around 11:30pm, where Georgia Barton said: “I’ve been pushed down and kicked about and stuff…He said he was going to fight with my brother and my dad.”

Joey Barton was arrested in his bedroom after being woken up. According to reports he was still intoxicated. Over the course of the evening it is alleged that the couple had both drank approximately four or five bottles of wine. 

The trial was originally due to take place in 2022 but was delayed when Georgia Barton retracted her allegations of assault. She wrote to prosecutors and said that her injuries were sustained by accident when a friend had gotten involved to separate Mr and Mrs Barton. 

“I’m not a victim … I want to move on with my life,” she said.

The case against Barton was put on hold over concerns it would be unfair after prosecutors said they did not intend to ask Georgia Barton to give evidence in court.

But prosecutors successfully appealed that decision, setting up Friday's trial​.

Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), appealed the decision in the High Court. In June, two senior judges ruled in favour of the DPP and decided Joey Barton should face a trial over the allegations in front of an alternative judge.

The court heard that the couple are still married and living together. 

Joey Barton has twice previously been charged with malicious communication offences. He was charged with sending communications to various individuals which intended to cause distress and anxiety.