The previous 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 courtroom has heard.

Georgia Barton was left with a lump on her brow and a bleeding nostril after the alleged assault. Mates had been compelled to intervene within the argument between the pair, pulling Barton away from his spouse, prosecutors stated. The previous Manchester Metropolis midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton, 38, in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, the place that they had been ingesting with two different {couples} whereas their kids slept upstairs.

The arguing had began after Barton threatened to struggle his spouse’s brother and father, Westminster magistrates courtroom heard. “There had been a verbal disagreement a couple of household matter,” the prosecutor, Helena Duong, stated. Barton – who appeared in courtroom sporting a darkish coat, darkish jumper, denims and glasses – “grabbed her and pushed her to the bottom and kicked her within the head”, 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 courtroom heard. The pair had each drunk “4 or 5 bottles of wine”, a earlier listening to was advised.

Through the 999 name, which was performed to the courtroom, a tearful Mrs Barton advised the decision handler: “My husband’s simply hit me in the home. He’s in the home, I’m exterior”. Requested if something comparable had occurred earlier than, she stated: “No, it’s the primary time,” including that she had been hit “within the face”.

When police arrived at round 11.30pm, Mrs Barton advised them: “I’ve been pushed down and kicked about and stuff. He stated he was going to struggle with my brother and my dad.”

The previous footballer, of Widnes in Cheshire, was as a consequence of face trial at a magistrates courtroom in 2022 however the case was adjourned after Mrs Barton despatched a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations. A decide 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 courtroom.

The director of public prosecutions (DPP), Stephen Parkinson, appealed towards the choice on the excessive courtroom 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 decide.

Barton’s profession and life have been marked by quite a few controversial incidents. Final 12 months, the broadcaster Jeremy Vine sued him for libel and harassment over 14 on-line posts, together with one the place he known as Mr Vine a “huge bike nonce” and a “pedo defender” on X, previously Twitter. A excessive courtroom ruling deemed Barton’s put up to be defamatory, resulting in Barton issuing a public apology to Vine, as effectively paying him £75,000, adopted by an extra £35,000 for posts printed after Vine took authorized motion.

Barton denies a single cost of assault by beating and the trial continues.