Joey Barton remanded in custody over grievous bodily harm charge
Joey Barton was refused bail yesterday after being charged with grievous bodily harm in connection with an altercation at a Liverpool golf club, leaving the former Premier League midfielder behind bars on remand, reports BritPanorama.
The legal troubles for the 42-year-old have escalated, with court battles reportedly costing him close to £1 million.
Co-defendant Gary O’Grady, 50, was granted bail, while Barton’s financial damage from social media conduct has been significant. Earlier this month, he was ordered to pay £339,000 plus legal costs to former England international Eni Aluko after a social media comparison to serial killer Rose West.
In addition to this, Barton faced a separate libel defeat against BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine regarding posts on X that falsely labelled him a “nonce” and “paedo defender.” Vine indicated last summer that the legal battle had cost Barton “by his account, £600,000.”
The former midfielder’s issues extend beyond personal disputes: his commercial ventures are also in jeopardy. His image rights company, Joey Barton Promotions Limited, has accrued debts totalling £76,273.
Barton co-owns Resolve Energy, an energy management consultancy, which shows directors owing £1.8 million in outstanding loans, according to company records. The former player has also attracted the taxman’s attention due to investments in four film schemes operated by a controversial firm, which were later deemed tax-avoidance arrangements by HMRC.
This situation illustrates a startling decline for a player who once commanded wages of £45,000 per week during his peak career.
Currently, Barton is appealing his convictions in both the Aluko and Vine cases, along with a separate suspended sentence for assaulting his wife, Georgia, 38, in Kew, south-west London. The sheer volume of legal proceedings has compounded his difficulties.
As mounting business debts, substantial damages orders, and now a remand cell rather than his home converge, Barton’s situation appears increasingly fragile. In a world where the shine of fame fades quickly, this chapter underscores how fragile fortunes can become, a reality that Barton appears to be grappling with, both on and off the pitch.
