Courtroom Giggles as Joey Defends Saucy Tweets…
Former footballer extraordinaire Joey Barton found himself in hot water at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of boldly calling Jeremy Vine a “bike nonce” on social media, among other cheeky antics. Decked out in a spiffy dark suit and with glasses perched on his nose, Barton, 42, valiantly repeated “not guilty” to 12 eyebrow-raising charges of sending communications that were a tad too spicy under the Malicious Communications Act.
Apparently, Barton let his social media rants get the better of him, comparing TV commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko to the gloomy duo Fred and Rose West and, for good measure, threw in a sprinkle of Stalin and Pol Pot references. In a colorful array of January, February, and March tweets, originally on Twitter (now X), he shared posts with some Photoshopped magic, placing the faces of these TV personalities onto infamous criminals. Barton’s posts continued to label them as “serial killers.”
With a trial date set for November 3, Barton got the green light for bail, provided he keeps mum online about the folks involved. Judge Andrew Menary, with a wink and a nod, reminded Barton to steer clear of internet kerfuffles.
