Joey Barton tells court he ‘has temper’ – but denies ‘kicking wife in the head as their kids slept upstairs’
JOEY Barton today told a court he can “lose his temper” but denied he kicked his wife in the head as their kids slept upstairs.
The former footballer allegedly attacked Georgia Barton at their home in Kew, South West London.
Barton, 42, and Georgia had both drunk “four or five bottles of wine” with two other couples when a row erupted.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the ex-Man City star threatened to fight his wife’s brother and father in a “verbal disagreement about a family matter”.
Barton then “grabbed [Georgia] and pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head”, it was said.
The court heard that as a friend tried to intervene, Barton “threw” him off and said “don’t disrespect me”.
Georgia, who was left with a lump on her forehead and a bleeding nose, called police shortly after 11pm to “report she had been hit by her husband”.
During a tearful 999 call played to the court, she said: “Me husband’s just hit me in the house.
“He’s in the house, I’m outside.”
Asked if anything similar had happened before, she said: “No, it’s the first time,” adding that she had been hit “in the face”.
When police arrived at around 11:30pm, Georgia told them: “I’ve been pushed down and kicked about and stuff.
“He said he was going to fight with my brother and my dad.”
Barton was arrested at about midnight in his bedroom, where he had been asleep, and was still drunk.
The couple are still married and living together, the court heard.
Giving evidence, Barton admitted he had drunk “six to eight” drinks when the alleged attack unfolded.
He told the court there had been a “disagreement” and he “stupidly took me mate’s side”.
Barton continued: “We just got into petty name calling.
“We ended up getting a bit more agitated and were close to each other.”
The former footballer admitted he was someone that “on occasion” might lose his temper.
But he denied the claims against him, saying: “If I kicked someone in the head there would be a lot more damage than what’s alleged in this case.”
In her own evidence, Georgia told the court she and her husband had been “nose to nose” at one point but had not come to blows.
She claimed she felt a “collision” to her head that “stunned me and made me fall backwards”.
Georgia, who said she had drunk a lot of wine that day, added: “It couldn’t have been Joe, he was too far away.”
Barton was due to face trial in 2022 after pleading not guilty to assault by beating but this was halted when Georgia retracted her claims.
The High Court ruled last year that the trial could go ahead and that the previous decision to drop the case was “wrong in principle”.
Barton married his childhood sweetheart in a lavish ceremony in 2019 at a country house in Oxfordshire.
The couple have two children together – a son born in 2011 and a daughter born in 2014.
Barton started his football career with Manchester City in 2002 after going through their youth system and went on to make 150 appearances for the club.
He then moved to Newcastle United in a £5.8million transfer in July 2007 before leaving for Queens Park Rangers in August 2011.
The midfielder was then put on loan to French side Marseille during the 2012-13 season before making his way to Burnley for one season – helping promote them to the Premier League.
Barton made one appearance for England in 2007 – despite criticising some of his fellow players.
The footballer later attempted a management career with stints at Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.
Barton denies a single charge of assault by beating and the trial continues.