Broadcaster Jeremy Vine has told a jury he felt “wickedly torn down for no reason” by ex-footballer Joey Barton, whose online posts led him to take civil action.
The TV and radio presenter said he intervened to support football commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko after Barton shared an image online of their faces superimposed on to a photograph of notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West.
After a televised FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton in January 2024, the former Manchester City and Newcastle United footballer likened the sports broadcasters to the “Fred and Rose West of commentary”.
Responding to the comment, Mr Vine said on X: “What’s going on with @Joey7Barton? I just glanced at the Rose West thing… genuinely, is it possible we are dealing with a brain injury here?”
‘I was quite shocked’
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Vine said: “I was quite shocked by what Mr Barton had said about two very respected commentators in Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko.
“I thought it was very vicious to impose them on the images of two mass murderers of children, and I was looking for an explanation.
“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 currently standing trial at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of posting grossly offensive messages on X aimed at the three broadcasters, allegedly with the intent to cause distress or anxiety.
The court heard that Mr Barton replied to Mr Vine’s tweet with a post referring to him as “you big bike nonce”.
The defendant, who has 2.7 million followers on X, also made references to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
‘This now gets really serious’
Mr Vine told the prosecutor he felt “very alarmed” that Mr Barton was choosing “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 said.
“These are disgusting actions. It’s a despicable thing to say.
“It gravely upset me, and I had a sleepless night that night.”
As more posts followed, Mr Vine “began to feel scared”.
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Mr Vine said: “I realised I had to take some action, but I was not sure what to do. I realised the quickest remedy would be some sort of civil action.”
Civil proceedings were initiated in March 2024. A week later, a post from Mr Barton’s X account stated: “If anyone has any information about Jeremy Vine – pictures, screenshots, videos, or messages that could help us in the case – please send them to me using the hashtag #bikenonce.”
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Jurors heard that in June 2024, Mr Barton agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages for defamation and harassment, along with his legal expenses, as the two parties reached a settlement in the civil case.
In a separate agreement, Mr Barton also paid Mr Vine an additional £35,000 in damages and legal costs relating to similar issues.
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The court was told 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 said to have been committed between January and March 2024.
