Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting wife Georgia in London home in vicious attack following drunken night out

The 42-year-old was handed a 12-week suspended prison sentence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for the incident that took place at their family home in June 2021. The former midfielder was found guilty of leaving his wife Georgia with a lump on her forehead and a bloody nose after attacking her following a drunken night out with two other couples. The court heard that Barton grabbed and pushed his wife to the ground and then kicked her in the head.

At the end of the two day trial, Barton was convicted of one charge of assault by beating despite his denial that the incident turned "physical". Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed Barton's telling of events as "vague" and handed down a prison sentence that has been suspended for two years.

Following the assault, Georgia called the police but following his arrest sent a letter to prosecutors retracting the allegations, which brought a halt to the initial trial that was scheduled to take place in 2022.

As his sentence has been suspended, Barton will not spend 12 weeks in jail if he avoids further offences over the next two years.