Broadcaster Jeremy Vine has advised a jury he felt “wickedly torn down for no reason” by ex-footballer Joey Barton, whose on-line posts led him to take civil motion.
The TV and radio presenter mentioned he intervened to assist soccer commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko after Barton shared a picture on-line of their faces superimposed on to {a photograph} of infamous serial killers Fred and Rose West.
After a televised FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton in January 2024, the previous Manchester Metropolis and Newcastle United footballer likened the sports activities broadcasters to the “Fred and Rose West of commentary”.
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Joey Barton arrives at Liverpool Crown Court docket. Pic: PA
‘I used to be fairly shocked’
Giving proof on Wednesday, Vine mentioned: “I was quite shocked by what Mr Barton had said about two very respected commentators in Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.
“I assumed it was very vicious to impose them on the pictures of two mass murderers of kids, and I used to be searching for an evidence.
“I said ‘are we dealing with a brain injury here’ as a way of underlining my own feelings that he had crossed the line on that tweet.”
Barton, 43, is at present standing trial at Liverpool Crown Court docket, accused of posting grossly offensive messages on X aimed on the three broadcasters, allegedly with the intent to trigger misery or anxiousness.
The court docket heard that Mr Barton replied to Vine’s tweet with a submit referring to him as “you big bike nonce”.
The defendant, who has 2.7 million followers on X, additionally made references to convicted youngster intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Jeremy Vine. Pic: PA
‘This now will get actually critical’
Vine advised the prosecutor he felt “very alarmed” that Mr Barton was selecting “this word ‘nonce’ to throw around” and that “this was now escalating”.
“This now gets really serious. He is accusing me of being a paedophile,” he mentioned.
“These are disgusting actions. It’s a despicable thing to say.
“It gravely upset me, and I had a sleepless night time that night time.”
As more posts followed, Vine “started to really feel scared”.
Vine said: “I realised I needed to take some motion, however I used to be undecided what to do. I realised the quickest treatment could be some kind of civil motion.”
Civil proceedings were initiated in March 2024. A week later, a post from Mr Barton’s X account stated: “If anybody has any details about Jeremy Vine – photos, screenshots, movies, or messages that might assist us within the case – please ship them to me utilizing the hashtag #bikenonce.”
Jurors heard that in June 2024, Barton agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages for defamation and harassment, alongside along with his authorized bills, as the 2 events reached a settlement within the civil case.
In a separate settlement, Barton additionally paid Vine a further £35,000 in damages and authorized prices referring to comparable points.
The court docket was advised that Mr Barton issued a public apology on his X account in June 2024, admitting that he had made a “very serious allegation” on social media.
He denies the offences mentioned to have been dedicated between January and March 2024.
