Former footballer Joey Barton has been sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months, over a series of offensive social media posts between January and March 2024.

Barton, 43, was found guilty last month at Liverpool crown court of six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety for posts he made targeting football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

The posts began following a 17 January 2024 FA Cup tie between Everton and Crystal Palace, with Barton describing Ward and Aluko as the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary” for their work during the broadcast of the game.

When Vine interjected, Barton made a series of posts that implied that the broadcaster was a paedophile, calling

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