Former Manchester City footballer, Joey Barton, has been given a 12-week suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of assaulting his wife, Georgia Barton.
The 42-year-old was convicted of kicking his wife in the head during a drunken argument at their home in southwest London in June 2021. The attack left Georgia, 38, with a bleeding nose and a lump on her forehead.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said Barton’s account of the incident was “vague” and untruthful, but he decided not to send him to prison immediately.
“I am satisfied that it is not necessary to impose an immediate custodial sentence,” Goldspring stated, noting that Barton and his wife were still in a “happy relationship” and had a young child.
Barton was ordered to pay over £2,000 ($2,600) in victim surcharge and prosecution costs.
Barton, a former midfielder for Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Queens Park Rangers, was managing Bristol Rovers at the time of the assault.
His wife had called police immediately after the incident, saying in a 999 call that her husband had “just hit me”. However, she later sent a letter to prosecutors withdrawing her complaint, claiming her injuries were an accident.
Despite this, Prosecutor Helena Duong described her emergency call as “compelling evidence”, stating that Georgia had clearly described the assault in detail.
Barton had denied attacking his wife, saying they had argued but nothing “physical” had happened.
His trial was originally scheduled for 2022 but was delayed due to his wife’s letter retracting the allegations.
