JOEY Barton has arrived at court for sentencing after he shared vile posts comparing female football pundits to Fred and Rose West.
The former footballer lashed out at Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward after they covered the FA Cup clash between Crystal Palace and Everton last year.
Barton claimed Eni “can’t even kick a ball properly”, before adding: “Your coverage of the game EFC last night, took it to a new low.
He said: “Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, the Fred and Rose West of football commentary.”
The former Man City star then superimposed the faces of the two women on to a photograph of the serial child killers.
He also accused Eni of being in the “Joseph Stalin category” for “murdering hundreds of thousands of fans’ ears”.
Barton will be sentenced today after he convicted of six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress.
Jurors found him not guilty on the Stalin comparison and the comparison with the Wests, but ruled the superimposed image was grossly offensive.
He was also convicted of targeting BBC star Jeremy Vine by repeatedly referring to him as a “bike nonce” but cleared over three posts.
Barton had also asked him: “Have you been on Epstein Island? Are you going to be on these flight logs?
“Might as well own up now because I’d phone the police if I saw you near a primary school on ya bike.”
The court heard Barton “crossed the line between free speech and a crime” with his posts.
But he told jurors he believes he is the victim of a “political prosecution” and denied his aim was “to get clicks and promote himself”.
He also claimed the posts about Ward and Aluko were “dark and stupid humour” and he was “trying to make a serious point in a provocative way”.
Barton then branded his Epstein tweet to Vine “crude banter” and claimed that “bike nonce” was a known phrase used by non-cyclists about cyclists.
But giving evidence, Aluko said she was “just devastated” by the posts.
She continued: “I felt very much under siege. It was very paralysing. You feel like the world is talking about you. I didn’t understand it. Why anyone would say something that was so grossly offensive? You just feel like you are in a fishbowl.
“I personally felt crippled. I didn’t leave my house. Very anxious, upset and distressed about it.
“For about a week I couldn’t leave my house. I felt completely intimidated and depressed. My mum had to kind of save me. Didn’t eat.
“I think I went out once to a convenience store and I disguised myself.
“I had to go out and disguise myself to go and buy milk.”
Aluko also said the posts “irrevocably changed my appetite to be a broadcaster”.
Vine told the court he felt “wickedly torn down for no reason” after he was targeted.
He added: “I was beginning to get very worried that Barton had got this obsession with me, with labelling me to his many followers, many who were like-minded.
“At this point I was really alarmed.
“I just had a sense he was not going to stop.”
Barton started his football career with Manchester City in 2002 after going through their youth system and went on to make 150 appearances for the club.
He then moved to Newcastle United in a £5.8million transfer in July 2007 before leaving for Queens Park Rangers in August 2011.
The midfielder was then put on loan to French side Marseille during the 2012-13 season before making his way to Burnley for one season – helping promote them to the Premier League.
He moved to Rangers on a two-year deal but that was ripped up after just eight games following bust-ups with team-mate Andy Halliday and manager Mark Warburton.
He was also investigated by the Scottish FA for breaching gambling rules.
Barton made one appearance for England in 2007 – despite criticising some of his fellow players.
The footballer later attempted a management career with stints at Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.
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