Former British footballer and coach Joey Barton was handed a suspended jail sentence on Monday after sending offensive social media messages to two former players and a broadcaster.

The 43-year-old was convicted last month for posts sent via X in early 2024 to former England international Eni Aluko, ex-player and pundit Lucy Ward, and BBC presenter Jeremy Vine.

Prosecutors argued that Barton’s messages—despite his claims they were meant as “banter”—“crossed the line between free speech and a crime.” Barton maintained that his posts were provocative but not intended to cause distress or anxiety.

Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Barton was convicted of six counts while being cleared of six others. Judge Andrew Menary described the posts as “obviously grossly offensive,” noting that those directed at Aluko were “aggravated by hostility based on race.”

Barton received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was issued a restraining order barring contact with Aluko, Ward, and Vine. He will also be required to perform unpaid community work.

Barton’s legal troubles are not new. Earlier this year, he was convicted of assaulting his wife and, in 2024, ordered to pay damages to Vine following a separate civil libel case. The former midfielder has also had a high-profile career, playing for clubs including Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers and managing Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.