FOOTBALLER Joey Barton was today jailed for six months for assault and affray.
The Newcastle United midfielder had admitted his part in a street attack in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of December 27 last year.
At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Henry Globe QC told Barton the attack had been a "violent and cowardly a
ct."
Barton, 25, of Foxbank Road, Widnes, was arrested in Liverpool city centre after becoming involved in a confrontation outside a McDonald's restaurant.
He was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground.
He then straddled the man, and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim, before Barton punched him up to 15 times more.
Minutes later, the player attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth.
It followed a series of verbal confrontations inside the restaurant after a night out in which Barton had consumed 10 pints and five bottles of lager.
The hearing heard that the footballer was remorseful about the incident and had admitted to an alcohol problem.
Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, also of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults.
The incident took place as the player was awaiting trial for two other offences - alleged criminal damage of a taxi and the alleged assault of former Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo, 31, who now plays for Lazio.
Judge Globe told him: "You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner.
"It also happened at a time when you were on bail for two other matters. If ever there was a time when you should be on your best behaviour, it was then.
"You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner."
The judge jailed Barton for six months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and four months, concurrently, for affray.
He was ordered to pay £2,500 to Jordan Spencer, the youth whose teeth were broken.
Barton had admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted today.
The full article contains 384 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
