That brings our coverage of today's sentencing hearing to an end - thank you for joining us.

To recap: Former foootballer Joey Barton has been given a suspended prison sentence for creating grossly offensive social media posts aimed at broadcaster Jeremy Vine and pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.

The 43-year-old was last month found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court of sending grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

His trial heard he had "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" with six posts on X including comparing Aluko and Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West, and calling Vine a "bike nonce".

Barton, originally of Huyton, Merseyside, was jailed for six months but told his sentence would be suspended for 18 months.

How was Joey Barton's sentence determined?published at 12:38 GMT 8 December 2025

12:38 GMT 8 December 2025

Image source, CPS

Joey Barton has been handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

This means he will not actually serve any jail time unless he reoffends during the next 18 months.

He was given six months each for two offences against Eni Aluko, and four months for each of the four counts related to Jeremy Vine and Lucy Ward.

All of these sentences are to be served "concurrently", or at the same time as each other, resulting in a total custodial sentence of six months.

However, Judge Andrew Menary said he was satisfied that Barton's custodial terms did not have to "be served immediately".

The judge added: "In light of the steps you have taken, I am persuaded that there is some prospect of rehabilitation - that an immediate custodial sentence is not required to protect either the public or the victims.

"A suspended sentence order may - may - itself operate as a deterrent against any future defending by you."

Jack Grey
Live reporter

Just going back over the judge's sentencing comments, it is clear that Andrew Menary KC was keen to talk about where the boundaries lie in the freedom of speech debate.

He told Joey Barton: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech.

"But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection.

"As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit - amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

Under the terms of the restraining orders handed down by the judge, Joey Barton has been told that, for the next two years, he cannot publish any reference to Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward or Jeremy Vine on any social media platform or broadcast medium.

'Barton's abuse was magnified'published at 12:18 GMT 8 December 2025

12:18 GMT 8 December 2025

Rowan Bridge
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

All three of Joey Barton's victims talked about the torrent of abuse they faced on X as his followers picked up on his grossly offensive commentary.

Jeremy Vine said he feared for his safety after Barton told his followers to call 999 if they saw him near a primary school, suggesting Vine was a paedophile.

The clear implication was the question of what one of those people might do.

You have the same feelings for Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko - that it wasn't Joey Barton's posts per se, it's what they engendered in other people.

The abuse was magnified because of Barton's level of online following, and piled on top of what he said.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Speaking to the BBC after exiting court, Joey Barton says: "If I could turn back the clock I would.

"I never meant to hurt anyone. It was a joke that got out of hand."

"Nobody wants to go to jail," he added.

Image source, PA Media

Restraining orders have been imposed with the aim of stopping Joey Barton from contacting - directly or indirectly - Eni Aluko, Lucy Ward or Jeremy Vine.

Judge Andrew Menary KC said that while he was convinced the "custodial threshold" had been crossed in this case, he was prepared to suspend those jail terms.

He noted that Barton had "taken steps to moderate his online behaviour and added that "only time will tell whether this resolve endures".

Judge Menary then told Barton to stand up in the dock.

He then said: "In light of steps you have taken, I am persuaded that there is some prospect of rehabilitation and that an immediate custodial sentence is not required to protect either the public or the victims - and that a suspended sentence order may itself operate as a deterrent against any future offending by you."

Menary sentenced Barton to up to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months, for the six grossly offensive social media posts he published.

Barton was also ordered to pay the prosecution's costs of £23,419.80.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Before passing sentence, Judge Andrew Menary KC told Barton his maximum jail term could have been two years.

However, there are no definitive crown court guidelines for these kind of offences, he said.

Judge Menary said two of the offences were "racially aggravated" and that the severity of the punishments would be adjusted accordingly.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Judge Menary adds Barton will pay the prosecution's costs of more than £23,000.

He has 28 days to pay.

The sentencing hearing has now come to an end.

Please stay with us for a full breakdown of what we've just heard, together with any initial reaction.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Barton is still not showing any emotion - there is no sense of relief visible on his face.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Joey Barton is sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for sending six grossly offensive social media posts.

The judge tells the former footballer if any other offence is committed in the next 18 months, he will be brought back into court.

The 43-year-old will also have to complete rehabilitation work and 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.

We'll bring you more on this soon.

On Vine, the judge states that Barton's posts amounted to a deliberate and escalating campaign that falsely portrayed him as a paedophile.

"All of these posts were obviously grossly offensive," he says.

He adds that Barton's statements forced Vine into the "humiliating position" of correcting what others might now believe about him.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Judge Menary continues saying Barton is "not a man of previous good character".

He notes Barton has previous convictions for violence, but does not find them particularly relevant.

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Barton is asked to stand up, he does so with his hands clasped behind his back and looks towards Judge Menary.

The judge turns to talk about the significance of X and the role it plays within free speech.

He says: "When posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia designed to humiliate and distress they forfeit that protection."

Barton's sustained campaign of online abuse "was not mere commentary but was targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful".

"These convictions represent a clear rejection that your conduct was robust debate."

Mairead Smyth
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Barton has shown no emotion or response to the judge's comments so far.

He continues to look straight ahead towards the bench.

Judge Menary says society places a high premium on the right to freedom of expression.

"Such freedom is the cornerstone of our society," he says.

He says this freedom guarantees debate and expression of opinion.

But it does not extend to exprsession of communication that goes "far beyond what is tolerable that they are properly described as grossly offensive", he says.

Judge Andrew Menary KC begins his sentencing remarks by recapping the offences upon which Joey Barton was variously convicted and cleared.

He says Barton used a large public platform on X - formerly Twitter - to target three individuals.

The judge says Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward are "both highly experienced former professional footballers and respected broadcasters", while Jeremy Vine is "a well-known TV and radio presenter".

Marc Gaier
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Joey Barton's barrister Simon Csoka suggests to the judge that a suspended prison sentence would be appropriate in this case.

"The submission we make is that the seriousness of the offending could be met by a suspended sentence and also a substantial fine - the defendant has sufficient assets to meet that - he has several million pounds worth of assets."