Former professional footballer Joey Barton allegedly assaulted his wife by pushing her to the ground and kicking her in the head during an altercation fueled by alcohol at their home, a court has been informed.
The 42-year-old, who previously played for Manchester City and QPR, is facing accusations of attacking 38-year-old Georgia Barton in Kew, southwest London, in June 2021.
According to the court at Westminster Magistrates’, the dispute between the couple, who had been consuming drinks with two other couples while their children were asleep upstairs, escalated after Mr. Barton threatened to confront his wife’s brother and father.
Mr. Barton, hailing from Widnes in Cheshire, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault by beating.
Prosecutor Helena Duong described a “verbal disagreement regarding a family issue” that led to Mr. Barton “grabbing her and pushing her down before kicking her in the head.”
When a friend attempted to step in, Mr. Barton reportedly “threw” him aside and said, “don’t disrespect me,” the court was informed.
Mrs. Barton contacted the police shortly after 11:00 PM BST to inform them that her husband had hit her, jurors heard.
During a recorded emergency call played in court, a visibly upset Mrs. Barton told the dispatcher that her husband “just hit me in the house,” adding, “He’s still inside, and I’m outside.”
When asked if this type of incident had ever occurred before, she replied, “No, this is the first time,” and stated that she had been struck “in the face.”
Upon the police’s arrival around 11:30 PM, Mrs. Barton reported, “I’ve been pushed down and kicked, among other things. He said he was going to fight my brother and my dad.”
The trial is ongoing.
