The chilling 999 call Joey Barton's wife made to police has been played during his assault trial as the former footballer is accused of kicking her in the head during a drunken row.
Barton, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton, 38, at their home in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, where they had been drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs.
Mrs Barton called police shortly after 11pm to “report that she had been beaten by her husband”, the court heard.
The pair had both drunk 'four or five bottles of wine', they were told during an earlier hearing. Barton has denied pushing his wife to the ground before kicking her.
During the 999 call played to the court, a tearful Mrs Barton told the call handler: 'My husband has just beaten me in the house. He's in the house, I'm outside.'
Asked if anything similar had happened before, she said: “No, it's the first time,” adding that she had been punched “in the face.”
When police arrived at around 11.30pm, Mrs Barton told them: 'I've been pushed down and kicked and stuff.
“He said he was going to fight my brother and my father.”
Joey Barton (pictured) leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today. The 42-year-old is accused of attacking his wife Georgia Barton at their home in Kew, south-west London, in June 2021.
Georgia Barton (pictured) called police shortly after 11pm to 'report that she had been beaten by her husband', court heard
The row started after Barton threatened to fight his wife's brother and father, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard
Barton allegedly drank up to five bottles of wine before attacking his wife, leaving her with a 'wave-sized' bump on her head and a bloody nose, a court heard today.
He was photographed this morning outside Westminster Magistrates' Court with his wife, who did not support the prosecution, for a new hearing after a previous trial was halted in 2022 when Ms Barton withdrew her claims.
In evidence, he admitted that he is sometimes “someone who loses his temper” but denied kicking his wife in the head and said “a lot more damage” would have been done if he had.
Friends were forced to intervene in the couple's argument on June 2, causing Barton to move away from his wife, prosecutors say.
The row had started after Barton threatened to fight his wife's brother and father, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
“There was a verbal disagreement over a family matter,” prosecutor Helena Duong said.
Barton – who appeared in court in a dark jacket, dark sweater, jeans and glasses – “grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and kicked her in the head,” Ms Duong said.
When a friend tried to intervene, Barton “thrown him away” and said: “Don't disrespect me,” the trial heard.
Ms Barton called police after the alleged assault the court heard left her with a bloody nose and a bump on her head the size of a golf ball.
Barton was seen outside court on Friday, accompanied by his wife Georgia Barton (left), who did not support the prosecution
Joey Barton has arrived in court accused of attacking his wife Georgia Barton after a heavy drinking session
In the bodycam footage played, Ms Barton says: 'He has [my] head(s) pushed me down.”
The officer at the scene was heard telling a colleague that Ms Barton had a 'significant lump on the side of her head'.
A second piece of body-worn footage showed Ms Barton confirming her story to another police officer.
A police officer asked Ms Barton if she wanted to use an ice pack on the 'bump' on her head, the court heard.
Barton was arrested around midnight in his bedroom, where he had been sleeping and was still drunk, the trial was told.
Barton said Friday he had “six to eight” drinks with friends before arriving home around 6:30 p.m.
“A few of our friends got into a fight,” he said. 'That caused a disagreement. I stupidly sided with my buddy, I said his wife wasn't well.
“We just started having little shouting matches. Eventually we became a bit more restless and became closer to each other.'
Joey Barton and his wife Georgia pictured outside Wimbledon Magistrates' Court in 2022
Barton previously denied the charge of assault by beating him up
Barton told the court that a friend had come between him and his wife to separate them, but denied anything 'physical' had happened.
Mrs. Duong asked Barton, “Are you someone who loses his temper sometimes?”
“Yes,” the former footballer replied.
When asked if he had kicked his wife, he said no, before adding: 'If I kicked someone in the head the damage would be much greater than what is alleged in this case.'
Mrs Barton told the court that she and her husband had been 'nose-to-nose' at one point but no argument had ensued.
'I drank a lot of wine that day.
“I felt a collision on my head, which stunned me and made me fall backwards,” she said. It couldn't have been Joe, he was too far away.'
Ms Barton said a friend later told the group: 'Joe pushed her down, Joe hit her, Joe kicked her, you need to call the police.
“I just repeated what she said on the phone.”
In 2022, a judge ordered proceedings stayed because he feared a trial would be unfair to Barton, after prosecutors said they did not plan to ask Ms Barton to testify in court.
Mrs Barton had written to prosecutors a month before the originally scheduled trial, saying the injury was accidental and occurred after she and her husband each drank 'four to five' bottles of wine.
She claimed in her letter that her injuries occurred after friends tried to intervene in an argument between the couple.
“I'm not a victim… I want to move on with my life,” she said.
“The reality is that that letter was an attempt to protect your husband,” Ms Duong said today.
The incident, on June 2, 2021, was brought to the attention of police when Mrs Barton (right) made a 999 call to officers just before 11.15pm (photo: the Bartons leaving court in 2022)
But last year two senior judges ruled that the decision to halt the trial was wrong after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Stephen Parkinson, appealed the decision to the High Court in London.
In a 20-page ruling, Dame Victoria Sharp said the previous judge's decision was 'wrong in principle'.
Barton had denied an assault charge after being arrested by police at his home.
The incident, on June 2, 2021, was brought to the attention of police when Ms Barton made a 999 call to officers just before 11.15pm.
Last year, broadcaster Jeremy Vine sued Barton for defamation and harassment over 14 online posts, including one in which he called Mr Vine a “big motor nonce” and a “pedo advocate” on X, formerly Twitter.
Earlier this year he appeared in court accused of sending offensive messages to Vine and commentator Lucy Ward.
The couple married in Oxfordshire in 2019 and have two children together.
Barton has played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle, Queen's Park Rangers and Marseille, and also made one appearance for England in 2007.
The trial continues on March 25.