Joey Barton X posts Jeremy Vine ‘completely devastated’

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine told a court that former footballer Joey Barton calling him a “bicycle nonce” in social media posts left him “completely devastated”.

Barton, a former Manchester City player, is alleged to have “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with messages he posted on X about the radio and TV presenter, as well as football commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.

Barton, 43, who has 2.7 million followers on the platform, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court and denies 12 charges of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

Vine said in court that the posts left him having “sleepless nights” and feeling “scared and upset.”

The court heard that Vine responded on January 8, 2024, to a post Barton had made on

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, asked Mr Vine why he became involved in the conversation.

Vine told the court: “I thought it was very cruel to publish their faces on two mass murderers of children.

“I was looking for an explanation and talked about a brain injury to underline my own feelings that I had crossed the line.”

Simon Csoka KC, defending, said: “Are you really concerned that Mr Barton has a head injury or are you kidding?”

Vine responded: “I’m bringing it up by giving you that level of awareness, which is common on social media.”

The court also heard that Vine was made to “feel physically unsafe” after claiming Barton had posted a photo of his address online.

He said: “I really believe that what Barton did made me physically unsafe. I followed some advice about my safety. I varied my movements. I didn’t want to communicate the dangers.” [to my daughters].

“Because of this cloud of dirt that Barton had released, I had to explain it to him. I can only summarize by saying that I believe these messages put me in physical danger.”

In June 2024, jurors were told that Mr Barton agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages for defamation and harassment, along with his legal costs, as both sides settled the civil claim.

In a further agreement between both parties, Mr Barton paid Mr Vine £35,000 in damages and legal costs for similar matters.

The court heard that Barton also apologized to the broadcaster on his

Barton later took the witness stand and told the jury he accepted his posts had caused anxiety and distress to “the girls and Jeremy” but that had not been his intention.

He said he watched the January 2024 FA Cup tie, as a “big Evertonian”, and thought the analysis was “full of sound bites”.

He said: “It was really poor. I thought coverage had fallen to a new low.”

When asked what he meant by his comparison between Fred and Rose West, he said, “In my opinion, they were just murdering the broadcast.

“I was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way. It was dark and stupid, but it was a joke.

“I wasn’t trying to say they were murderers, child rapists or whatever the Wests were.

“It was a stupid joke.”

The superimposed photo he later posted was also a joke, he told jurors.

He said: “It was about trying to get the conversation on the table so we could get some quality standards for our profession.

“I’ve seen it cause distress to the girls and to Jeremy… That was never my purpose.”

He said his “bikenonce” references to Mr Vine in several posts were in response to the presenter “trying to goad” him into going on her Channel 5 show to discuss his views on women’s football pundits.

Barton said: “I was trying to make a joke. Dark humour. I didn’t mean to call him a pedophile.”

“My understanding of the word ‘bike nonce’ is that it refers to someone who is hugely into something…”

“I had followed Jeremy’s many experiences on his daily commute. Bike nonce means someone who likes bikes and lycra and buys all the gear.”

He told the jury that the apology in the defamation case, posted on his X feed, was part of the settlement requirement and were not his words but those of the lawyers.

He said: “I was trying to keep costs down and get on with my life. “It was taking too much time for what was an online fight.

“I had to sign that to keep it from increasing to millions.”

Barton, of Widnes, Cheshire, denies the alleged offenses which were allegedly committed between January and March last year.

As well as Manchester City, Barton also played for Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Burnley and Marseille before taking over as manager following his retirement.

He was sacked from his most recent managerial role at Bristol Rovers in October 2023 after almost three years in the role.

The trial continues.