Former footballer Joey Barton pushed his spouse to the ground earlier than kicking her within the head throughout a drunken row at their household dwelling, a court docket has heard.
Georgia Barton was left with a lump on her brow and a bleeding nostril after the alleged assault.
Pals had been pressured to intervene within the argument between the pair – pulling Barton away from his spouse, prosecutors say.
The previous Man Metropolis and QPR midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton, 38, in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, the place they’d been ingesting with two different {couples} whereas their kids slept upstairs.
The arguing had began after Barton threatened to combat his spouse’s brother and father, Westminster Magistrates’ Court docket heard.
Barton advised the court docket he admitted moving into an argument along with his spouse, however denied that something “physical” had occurred.
“There had been a verbal disagreement about a family matter,” prosecutor Helena Duong stated.
Barton – who appeared in court docket sporting a darkish coat, darkish jumper, denims and glasses – “grabbed her and pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head”, Ms Duong stated.
As a good friend tried to intervene, Barton “threw” him off and stated “don’t disrespect me”, the trial heard.
Mrs Barton known as the police shortly after 11pm to “report she had been hit by her husband”, the court docket heard.
The pair had each drunk “four or five bottles of wine”, a earlier listening to was advised.
Through the 999 name performed to the court docket, a tearful Mrs Barton advised the decision handler: “Me husband’s just hit me in the house.
“He is in the home, I am exterior.”
Asked if anything similar had happened before, she said: “No, it is the primary time,” adding that she had been hit “within the face”.
When police arrived at around 11.30pm, Mrs Barton told them: “I have been pushed down and kicked about and stuff.
“He said he was going to fight with my brother and my dad.”
A police officer requested Mrs Barton if she needed to make use of an ice pack for the “bump” on her head, the court docket heard.
Barton was arrested at about midnight in his bed room, the place he had been asleep, and was nonetheless drunk, the trial was advised.
He was taken to a neighborhood police station the place he gave a no-comment interview.
The couple are nonetheless married and residing collectively, the court docket heard.
Giving proof on Friday, Barton stated he had consumed “six to eight” drinks with associates earlier than arriving dwelling at about 6.30pm.
“A couple of our friends got into a disagreement,” he stated.
“That led to us having a disagreement. I stupidly took me mate’s side, I said his wife was out of order.
“We simply bought into petty identify calling.
“We ended up getting a bit more agitated and were close to each other.”
Barton advised the court docket a good friend had come between him and his spouse to separate them, however denied that something “physical” had occurred.
Ms Duong requested Barton: “Are you someone that on occasion might lose your temper?”
“Yep,” the previous footballer replied.
Requested if he had kicked his spouse, he stated no, earlier than including: “If I kicked someone in the head there would be a lot more damage than what’s alleged in this case.”
The previous footballer, of Widnes in Cheshire, was as a consequence of face trial at a magistrates’ court docket in 2022, however the case was adjourned after Mrs Barton despatched a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations.
Within the letter, she stated her accidents had been brought on by accident when a good friend moved in to separate the pair.
“I’m not a victim… I want to move on with my life,” she stated.
A choose then ordered that proceedings be paused over issues a trial can be unfair to Barton after prosecutors stated they didn’t plan to ask Mrs Barton to offer proof in court docket.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Stephen Parkinson, appealed towards the choice on the Excessive Court docket in London, with barristers claiming at a listening to {that a} honest trial may go forward.
In a judgment in June, two senior judges dominated within the DPP’s favour and stated Barton ought to face a trial over the allegations in entrance of a special choose.
Barton denies a single cost of assault by beating, and the trial continues.
If you’re affected by any of the above then there’s extra assist and help accessible at www.sky.com/viewersupport.
