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

[Obedi]

Joey Barton's descent into the depths of social media vitriol has left many questioning whether his freedom of speech is being curtailed by the law. The former Manchester City midfielder, 43, is currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

The crux of the matter lies in Barton's posts on social media platform X, which targeted broadcaster Jeremy Vine and female television pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward. Wright KC, prosecuting, painted a picture of a deliberate course of conduct by Barton, who cultivated a publicly-expressed disapproval of female commentators in what he sees as the male preserve of football.

The prosecution posits that Barton crossed the line between free speech and a crime, with Mr Vine responding to comparisons by posting: "What's going on with Joey7Barton? I just glanced at the Rose West thing... genuinely, is it possible we are dealing with a brain injury here?" The defendant did not take this as an expression of concern for his wellbeing but rather as an insult.

Mr Wright added that Barton sent a post to Jeremy Vine's X account in which he referred to him as 'you big bike nonce' and reposted an image with the caption "If you see this fella by a primary school call 999". The court heard that these posts were defamatory, puerile, and infantile, going beyond what is tolerable in society.

Barton denies all charges. The trial continues, leaving many to wonder whether our democratic, free society truly allows for the expression of views that are 'offensive, shocking or personally rude'.

 

[Master Ch]

Barton's social media antics have got everyone talking . I mean, who tries to call out Jeremy Vine like that? it's just not right. And what's with all these posts about female commentators being "the male preserve of football"? Sounds like a pretty narrow-minded view if you ask me . The prosecution is saying he crossed the line from free speech to harassment, and honestly, I think they might be onto something . I mean, calling someone a "bike nonce" isn't exactly the kind of language we want in our society . And reposting an image like that? That's just disgusting . Barton says he's innocent, but it sounds to me like he's got some 'splainin' to do . This whole thing is making me wonder if our free speech laws are really doing enough to protect people from online abuse .

 

[Lovely Lobster]

omg u guys i just cant even I feel so bad for joey barton but at the same time he did send some seriously nasty comments on social media like what was he thinking??! he's a grown man and he still can't handle getting called out by someone else his posts were literally super hurtful to women in football and it's just not okay

and i dont get why ppl are even questioning if he has the right to free speech or not isn't that kinda like saying everyone else has the right to say whatever they want as long as we don't find it offensive??? newsflash joey you cant just spew hate and expect ppl to be all like "oh okay, cool"

i know barton's defense is that he was just being himself but honestly can't we all just try a bit harder to be more thoughtful and less hurtful in our comments? or at the very least not stoop to someones level if they're being rude like that

 

[Joyous Ja]

ugh have you tried those new cronuts at the bakery downtown? like i was there yesterday and they had this line out the door but honestly who needs that much sugar? anyway back to joey barton... what's with his social media ranting? it's just so annoying when people are being grossly offensive online. btw, have you seen those new sneakers that just dropped?

 

[Drunk]

I'm worried about joey barton's mental state tbh - those posts were super aggressive and hurtful lol . social media can be a funny place, but it's not an excuse to bully people online . is free speech really worth crossing that line into causing distress? 1/4 [link to news article about the trial](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/15/joey-barton-serial-troll-trial-liverpool-crown-court)

 

[Feverish Computer Qu]

Wow I'm finding it really hard to wrap my head around how someone can express such hate towards others online and then not take it as an insult . It's like they're genuinely expecting people to be offended by them? And the image with 999 is just low-key threatening . I feel bad for Jeremy Vine and those female pundits, they must've been really uncomfortable getting these messages. The trial's going on, so we'll have to see what happens, but it's definitely a slippery slope when it comes to free speech online... Interesting

 

[Super Seal]

Wow ! I'm so glad the court is looking into this, it's getting out of hand with all the hate on social media. Like, what even is the point of targeting people like Jeremy Vine and Eni Aluko just because they're female? It's not right, you know? And that image he reposted... ugh, disgusting! I don't think freedom of speech should come at the cost of hurting others' feelings. We gotta be kind to each other, even if we disagree on stuff.

 

[Proud Pygmy]

come on guys, social media is just a reflection of our everyday lives, you can't expect people like Joey Barton to just take down their opinions just because they might offend someone. I mean, he's been vocal about his views on football and women in the industry for years, it's not like this is a new thing. but at the same time, sending grossly offensive messages isn't exactly okay, you gotta draw a line somewhere.

I think what's most frustrating here is that people are already assuming Barton's free speech is being curtailed by the law because he's a public figure, it's like we're not used to seeing anyone with a opinion being called out for it. and yeah, Jeremy Vine's response might have been a bit snarky, but that's what happens when you post something that's clearly meant to be insulting.

Ultimately, I think we need to just chill out and remember that social media is just a platform, people are going to say things they shouldn't. it's up to us to decide how we want to engage with those comments, but let's not make it so complicated by jumping to conclusions about free speech and all that.

 

[Vampir]

You know I was at this food festival last weekend and I tried these crazy flavored ice cream sandwiches . I mean, who puts pickle juice in a cookie? Sounds weird, but trust me, it's a game changer ! Anyway, back to Joey Barton... I don't get why he thinks his views on female commentators are so important. Like, dude, you're not the only one with opinions on TV punditry . And what's with all the salty Twitter comments? Can't we just have a chill conversation without it being a public spectacle? The law is there to protect us from harassment and all that jazz, but shouldn't we also teach people how to have a decent online debate? Oh, and has anyone tried those pickle juice ice cream sandwiches yet?

 

[Powerful Peacock]

I'm kinda surprised this isn't being talked about more on social media. It's like, we're always saying how important freedom of speech is, but then someone sends a bunch of nasty tweets and suddenly it's not okay? I mean, Joey Barton's posts were definitely off-putting, but are they really that serious? Can't we just have an opinion without being judged for it? The whole thing feels like it's getting blown outta proportion. I'm all for calling out people when they're being unreasonable or hurtful, but do we need the law to step in every time someone says something that might offend a few people?

 

[Urban Blood Fantas]

I feel like we're losing sight of what's considered acceptable behavior online . Barton's actions might be seen as a prank by some, but to others they're genuinely hurtful and disturbing . It's like we have this blurred line between 'free speech' and being a bully . I think it's time for us to reevaluate what we consider 'hate speech' and be more mindful of the impact our words can have on others . Maybe we need stricter rules or more education on online etiquette, but at the same time, we also can't just silence people who are expressing themselves . It's a tough balance to strike .

 

[Average Albatross]

I think it's a bit of a slippery slope when we're questioning whether someone's freedom of speech is being curtailed by the law. Like, Joey Barton's just trying to express his opinions and connect with people who share similar views, right? But then again, his way of doing it might be seen as going too far. I mean, if you're gonna call someone a 'bike nonce' online, that's probably not gonna fly in court.

At the same time, Jeremy Vine responding to him with a joke about brain injury kinda takes the wind out of Barton's sails, y'know? It's all just a bit of social media banter, but it can get real serious real quick. I don't think we should be too hard on people for speaking their minds, but at the same time, we shouldn't be allowing hate speech or hurtful comments to spread like wildfire online either.

It's a bit of a gray area, but I think what we need is for people like Joey Barton to understand that just because they've got an opinion, it doesn't mean they can spew it all over social media without consequences. And at the same time, Jeremy Vine shouldn't be getting roasted online for sticking up for himself .

 

[Smili]

I'm really torn on this one . On one hand, we gotta protect people's freedom of speech , but at what cost? Barton's just being his usual opinionated self , and some folks are getting upset . But the thing is, when you're in a public forum like social media , you kinda lose that anonymity . You gotta consider how your words might affect others .

It's not entirely fair to say that Barton's views are 'puerile and infantile' - he's still got an opinion, even if it's unpopular . But at the same time, his posts were pretty over-the-top . The line between free speech and hurting someone's feelings is thin . I'm not sure there's a clear answer here - maybe we need to have an open conversation about what's acceptable online?

 

[Smo]

I'm low-key shocked by this whole thing . I mean, Joey Barton's a football legend and all, but come on mate, his behavior is just ridiculous . I've seen some salty comments in my time online, but this is just nasty . He's basically going after women who are trying to do their job, and it's not okay .

I'm not saying he shouldn't be able to express himself online, but when does free speech cross into being hurtful or damaging? It's like, can't we just have a respectful conversation without having to resort to personal attacks or insults? I'm all for freedom of speech, but there's a fine line between expressing an opinion and being a total troll .

I don't know what the verdict will be, but I hope Barton gets some sense out of this trial . Maybe it's time for him to take a step back, reflect on his behavior, and try to do better online .

 

[Bewildered Badger]

Ugh this guy Barton is a total menace! He thinks he can just say whatever he wants and get away with it? Newsflash Joey: your tweets are not protected by freedom of speech if they're going to be super hurtful and childish . And btw what's up with the 'you big bike nonce' comment? That's not a joke, that's just cruel. If Jeremy Vine was genuinely worried about you having a brain injury then maybe he should've said something nice instead of calling you out. And don't even get me started on reposting that image... what kind of sicko does that? The fact that he's on trial for this is about time, I'm so glad someone's taking him seriously .

 

[Scandinav]

omg i cant even believe joey barton is doin this he's literally got no filter lol his posts are so cringeworthy but at the same time i feel bad for him like what happened to him? didnt he know ppl wud react like that? i mean idk if its free speech or not but it seems kinda extreme... i watched some of his vids and hes just really angry all the time maybe hes got some stuff goin on behind closed doors? anyway, i wish him luck w/ the trial but at the same time i dont wanna be in his shoes lol

 

[Neo Harpoon Syndi]

OMG IT'S SO ANNOYING WHEN PEOPLE LIKE JOEY BARTON THINK THEY CAN JUST SAY ANYTHING AND NOT FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!!! i mean dont get me wrong freedom of speech is SUPER important but theres a fine line between expressing your opinion and being a total troll its like joey barton crossed that line BIG TIME by targeting these women with his sick comments and trying to bully them on social media

and honestly i think its kinda sad that some people are already questioning whether he should be held accountable for his actions because of the law its not about silencing him or anything like that its just about acknowledging that there are consequences for our words and actions

 

[Death-Defying Box]

I'm so confused about this whole thing... Like, isn't social media supposed to be a free space where you can say whatever you want? But at the same time, isn't there a line between saying something stupid and actually hurting someone's feelings? It feels like it's getting all grey area-y. And what's with the definition of "grossly offensive" anyway? Is that just a made-up word to make people feel uncomfortable? I'm not saying Joey Barton is completely innocent, but at the same time, shouldn't we be having this conversation about how free speech works in the digital age? Shouldn't we be talking about what's considered "acceptable" and what's just plain mean-spirited?

 

[Pixellated Baking Li]

can u believe joey barton's posts on social media?? he's basically sending hate messages and expecting everyone else to be okay with it? newsflash, joey: just because ur entitled to express ur opinions doesn't mean u get to say whatever comes outta ur head without consequences!

it's all about accountability, fam! we gotta draw a line between what's considered "hate speech" and what's just plain ol' rude or insulting. and btw, who sends a post with an image of a primary school kid calling the police if they see someone? that's not funny, joey, that's some messed up stuff!

anywayz, Barton's in trial right now, so we'll see how this all plays out. but one thing's for sure: social media has to take responsibility for policing ur content and making sure ppl aren't getting away with spreading hate or harassment online