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| Joey Barton is jailed for assault | Joey Barton is jailed for assault |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray. | Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray. |
| Barton, 25, was arrested in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 after he was involved in a confrontation outside a McDonald's restaurant in the city. | Barton, 25, was arrested in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 after he was involved in a confrontation outside a McDonald's restaurant in the city. |
| The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday. | The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday. |
| Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act". | Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act". |
| The court heard how Barton had been on a Boxing Day night out with his brother, cousin and other friends in Liverpool city centre. | The court heard how Barton had been on a Boxing Day night out with his brother, cousin and other friends in Liverpool city centre. |
| Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults. | Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults. |
| Punched on floor | |
| Barton had drunk 10 pints of lager and five bottles of lager during the night, before going to a McDonald's restaurant on Church Street. | |
| The group got into a heated discussion with some youths inside the restaurant, before leaving and walking up Church Street towards Bold Street. TIMELINE: BAD NEWS BARTON 2004 February: First red card for Manchester CityApril: Storms out of City ground after being droppedJuly: Criticised by manager for sparking mass brawl in pre-season friendly gameDecember: Stubs cigar into eye of team-mate Jamie Tandy at Christmas party (fined six weeks' wages)2005 May: Involved in 2am road accident, injuring pedestrianJuly: Altercation with teenage fan during Asian tour (fined eight weeks' wages)2006 September: Drops shorts in direction of Everton fans during game (police take no action)2007 November: FA probe tackle on Dickson Etuhu after Barton's move to Newcastle but no actionDecember: Describes Newcastle fans as "vicious"2008 May: Jailed for assault | |
| The Barton group was involved in some verbal exchanges with others before the attack happened. | The Barton group was involved in some verbal exchanges with others before the attack happened. |
| Joey Barton was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground. He then straddled him and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim before the Premier League player punched him up to 15 times more. | Joey Barton was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground. He then straddled him and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim before the Premier League player punched him up to 15 times more. |
| Minutes later, the midfielder attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth. | Minutes later, the midfielder attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth. |
| Judge Globe told him: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is you. | Judge Globe told him: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is you. |
| "You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner." | "You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner." |
| He added: "You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner." | He added: "You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner." |
| Barton was also ordered to pay £2,500 to the youth whose teeth were broken. | Barton was also ordered to pay £2,500 to the youth whose teeth were broken. |
| Originally from Huyton, Merseyside, he began his football career with Manchester City in 2002. | Originally from Huyton, Merseyside, he began his football career with Manchester City in 2002. |
| Barton was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England. | Barton was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England. |
| His club said in a statement: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today. | |
| "The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment." |