Barton has been sentenced to six months in custody, suspended for 18 months (Image: PA)

Former Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has avoided a prison sentence following his conviction for posting grossly offensive messages on social media targeting broadcaster Jeremy Vine and television football analysts Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.

Last month, jurors at Liverpool Crown Court determined that Barton, 43, had "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" through six posts published on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

After a televised FA Cup fixture in January 2024 between Crystal Palace and Everton, he drew comparisons between Ms Ward and Ms Aluko and the "Fred and Rose West of football commentary", subsequently superimposing their faces onto an image of the noto

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