Joey Barton X posts ‘crossed line between free speech and crime’, court told

Former footballer on trial over social media posts about pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko and broadcaster Jeremy Vine

The former footballer Joey Barton “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with social media posts aimed at female pundits, a jury has been told.

Barton, 43, is accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety, related to posts he made on X between January and March in 2024 that targeted Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko as well as the broadcaster Jeremy Vine.