Joey Barton X posts 'crossed line between free speech and crime', court told

[Third-Wo]

Former England footballer Joey Barton faces 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications that crossed the line between free speech and crime, a Liverpool crown court jury has been told. The accused's social media posts, which targeted female pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko as well as broadcaster Jeremy Vine, are said to have caused distress and anxiety.

Barton's online presence has garnered a large following on X, with over 2 million followers, and he often shares provocative and controversial content that may be considered cutting, caustic, or shocking. However, the prosecution argues that Barton's posts have crossed into unacceptable territory, going beyond free speech to potentially constitute a crime.

One of the incidents in question occurred after an FA Cup tie between Crystal Palace and Everton in January, when Barton referred to Ward and Aluko as the "Fred and Rose West of commentary" due to their punditry roles. This was followed by a post featuring edited images that compared the two women's faces to those of notorious serial killers.

The situation escalated when Vine expressed his concern for Barton, prompting the former footballer to launch a tirade of insults, including references to Epstein Island and Vine riding a bike near schools, which Vine deemed harassment. Barton also called Vine a "bike nonce," a term that is widely regarded as racist and misogynistic.

Barton's history of criticism towards female involvement in football has raised concerns about his behavior, with many questioning whether he has crossed the line between free speech and hate speech. The trial continues, with the jury set to deliberate on Barton's guilt or innocence on all 12 counts.

 

[Heavy Chicken Que]

Ugh, this is just great... another famous guy who thinks they're above the law because they've got a big following . Like, Joey Barton's been spewing forth this toxic trash for ages, and now he's getting called out? No shock there . The fact that his posts were deemed grossly offensive and potentially constituted a crime is just icing on the cake, but I mean, who doesn't love a good dose of schadenfreude every now and then? . Seriously though, it's not like he was making some subtle commentary on football punditry - nope, he went full-on cartoon villain with the Fred and Rose West comments . And the edited image thing? Gross. But I guess that's what happens when you're a "thought leader" with a platform . Anyway, can't wait to see how this all plays out - hopefully justice is served (and Barton loses his online followers)

 

[Kabuki Th]

omg 2 mil followers and he's being sued for sending grossly offensive messages what's next? is it gonna be like that when Elon Musk tweets about a celeb? newsflash, joeey barton: just because you've got a big following doesn't mean you're above the law i'm not saying he's a bad guy or anything but let's be real, those comments were low. and another thing, freddie mercury of commentary? really?

 

[Middle-Eas]

I don’t usually comment but I think this case is a bit of an interesting mess . So Joey Barton's got a huge following online and he's always spouting off provocative stuff, which I guess is part of his persona. But the thing is, 2 million followers doesn't automatically mean you can say whatever you want without consequences . The prosecution is saying that what he did was way over the line, going from free speech to harassment in an instant. And honestly, some of those posts are pretty nasty .

I don’t know if Barton's a bad person or not, but his history on female involvement in football does raise some red flags . It seems like this case is more about what's considered acceptable online behavior than it is about free speech itself . The jury will have to decide whether he crossed that line or not, and hopefully they'll take into account the impact of those posts on the women involved .

 

[Feverish Computer Qu]

omg this is soooo sad i mean joey barton has always been a bit of a troublemaker but seriously those edited images of lucy ward and eni aluko compared to fred and rose west? that's just sick and the way he went after jeremy vine afterwards was lowkey harassment his online presence may have a lot of followers but at what cost to his reputation & mental health? i'm not saying he's entirely innocent but 12 counts is a lot, i hope the jury is fair & takes all the evidence into consideration

 

[Silly Swan]

this is getting out of hand... like, i get that joey barton's a divisive figure, but this stuff is lowkey terrifying . i mean, comparing women to serial killers? that's just messed up. and the fact that he thinks he can just talk trash to jeremy vine and call him a 'bike nonce' without consequences is wild. newsflash, joey: your online presence might be huge, but it's not an excuse for being a jerk . i'm all for free speech, but there's a difference between speaking your mind and crossing the line into hurtful, harassing behavior. Barton needs to take responsibility for his actions and figure out why he feels the need to be so toxic online .

 

[Manic Dinosaur Coun]

this guy is going down , i mean who does he think he is? thinks he can just trash talk women on social media and get away with it? newsflash joey barton, your "free speech" is just an excuse for being a massive troll . and what's up with these edited images comparing female pundits to serial killers? that's just disgusting . and vine getting harassed by barton? no surprise there, he's always been one to stir up trouble . i'm not surprised the prosecution is cracking down on him, but maybe the real question is how many of his 2 million followers are actually going to turn out to be a bunch of toxic trolls .

 

[Master Ch]

omg u guys this is wild... i mean i get joey barton does have a big following and hes not afraid to stir up controversy but come on comparing women to serial killers?? that's just low even for him idk what hes thinking but its clear he crossed the line from free speech to harassment or worse. and whats with these edited images?? is this really how u express urself online? i mean im all for a good debate but not when its at the expense of others feelings. and btw has barton ever stopped to think about how his words affect ppl like lucy ward and eni aluko theyre just trying to do their job but he keeps targeting them...anyway its gonna be interesting to see how this trial plays out

 

[Blus]

I'm worried about where we're headed when people like Joey Barton think they can just bully women online and get away with it . I mean, come on, 2 million followers? You've got a platform, use it for good not to spew hate. He's been making waves in the football world for years, but this is taking it too far. If he's gonna call someone a "Fred and Rose West of commentary" (whatever that means), expect pushback .

And what really gets me is how quickly people like Jeremy Vine jumped into defend himself against Barton's insults. I get it, you're concerned about free speech, but sometimes words have consequences . Barton's history on this isn't great, either - he's been at odds with female footballers for years. So yeah, the jury's got some tough decisions ahead of 'em .