Joey Barton: Bristol Rovers manager's assault trial delayed after wife's letter

Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton’s trial for allegedly assaulting his wife during a drunken row has been delayed after she wrote a letter to prosecutors in a bid to “exculpate” her husband, a court has heard.

The former Premier League footballer’s barrister, Simon Csoka QC, said Georgia Barton now claims she was injured accidentally when friends intervened in the argument.

The charge against Barton, 38, of Widnes, Cheshire, relates to an incident at a residential property in Kew, south west London, on June 2, 2021, in which she suffered a head injury.

Barton, 39, was due to stand trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, in south-west London, on Friday for a single count of assault by beating.

He is alleged to have grabbed his wife by the throat and kicked her in the head during a row outside their Kew home, where they had been with two other couples on June 2 last year.

Mrs Barton, who is said to have been left with a golf-ball sized bruise on her forehead and a bleeding nose, called police but was not due to be called as a prosecution witness.

However, the court heard she had sent a letter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on February 17, followed up with two emails, which had only been seen by prosecutor Helena Duong on Friday morning.

“Mr Barton is married to the alleged victim in this case and they continue to be in a relationship,” said Ms Duong.

“The Crown does not propose to call her.

“She has given an account some eight months after the incident and, in the Crown’s submission, it is plainly an attempt to exculpate her husband.”

Mr Csoka said there were two other couples present at the house and each of those present had been drinking “about four or five bottles of wine each”.

“What she is suggesting is the injury was caused accidentally when friends intervened in the argument,” he said.

Ms Duong earlier said Barton’s wife called police just before 11.15pm and said “she had just been hit in her house by her husband and she asks police officers to attend urgently”.

When officers arrived “she says she had got into a drunken fight, a disagreement about families, with her husband, and she had been pushed down and kicked,” the barrister continued.

“Mr Barton is still asleep upstairs when police arrive and he is arrested. The Crown’s case is he was still intoxicated at that point.”

The court heard Barton gave a no comment interview and the prosecutor added: “The issue in this case is that Mr Barton denies assaulting his wife at all.”

Barton, a former midfielder, played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle, Queen’s Park Rangers and Marseille during his playing career, and once appeared for England in 2007.

His management career began with Fleetwood Town from 2018 to 2021, when he joined the Bristol Rovers.

Barton appeared in the dock wearing a black sweater, jeans, black shoes and glasses, and spoke to confirm his name, address in Widnes, Cheshire and date of birth.

He was released on unconditional bail.

District Judge Andrew Sweet adjourned the case to June 23.