Former Premier League footballer Joey Barton went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court on November 3, 2025, accused of 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications intended to cause distress or anxiety. Prosecutor Peter Wright KC told jurors that while Barton’s online persona is “provocative,” several posts from January to March 2024 crossed the threshold from protected opinion into criminal conduct — targeting broadcaster Jeremy Vine and football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward.
What the prosecution alleges
Prosecutors say Barton likened Aluko and Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West — including doctored images — and escalated attacks on Vine with slurs and insinuations of sexual misconduct, warning the public to contact police if they saw him near children. The case centers on whether those posts were not merely offensive but “grossly offensive” and sent with intent to cause distress, the legal standard for the charges. Barton denies all counts.
Timeline and context
The alleged offences span early January to mid-March 2024, when Barton repeatedly posted about Aluko and Ward during football broadcasts and then turned his ire on Vine after the presenter criticised his conduct. Barton has previously faced related civil action from Vine; in 2024 a High Court ruling found calling Vine a “bike nonce” defamatory, and Barton later issued an apology and agreed to pay damages and costs. Those civil outcomes are distinct from the criminal charges now before the Crown Court.
The legal test facing jurors
Jurors will weigh whether Barton’s posts were “grossly offensive” and intended to cause distress or anxiety under UK communications law, versus speech that — however abrasive — remains within lawful bounds. The prosecution argues the content and context show criminal intent; the defence maintains Barton’s expressions were lawful, opinionated commentary on public figures. The trial continues.
