Joey Barton warned he could face jail for ‘harassing’ Jeremy Vine after ‘crossing the line’ with latest social media post – as the footballer apologizes for calling the broadcaster a ‘bike nonce’

Joey Barton has been warned he could face jail time if he continues to ‘intimidate’ Jeremy Vine after posting another social media post about the broadcaster.

The former footballer was today accused by the BBC presenter’s lawyers of ‘crossing the line’ after posting a video of himself wearing high heels and a series of emojis including a bicycle and a rainbow.

The message was posted this morning, hours before a Supreme Court hearing in which Barton’s lawyers apologized on his behalf for calling Vine a “big motor nonce” and a “pedo defender” on X.

The pair settled the claim after Barton posted two apologies on the same social media platform and paid a total of £110,000 in damages to Vine, as well as his legal costs.

At the High Court, Gervase de Wilde, representing Vine, who was present in court, said in an agreed statement that Barton now acknowledges that he made a “very serious” and “untrue” accusation.

Vine had sued Barton, pictured here in August, after the former footballer called him a ‘pedo defender’ during a social media argument

Jeremy Vine, pictured outside the High Court in London today, has received an apology on behalf of Joey Barton

Lawyers for Vine said a social media post from Barton this morning, featuring a video of the broadcaster in a pair of high heels, accompanied by emojis, “denies” his apology.

But Mr De Wilde later asked a High Court judge to warn Barton of the risk of contempt of court, which is punishable by up to two years in prison, after the latest post.

The post in question, which was published by Barton six hours before the hearing, contained a video of Vine walking around in a pair of high-heeled shoes.

It was accompanied by a caption with a series of emojis, including a bicycle and a rainbow, and five shrugs, as well as the words: ‘Totally normal. There’s nothing to see here.’

However, in court, Barton was also accused of “undermining” Vine’s settlement process by making another social media post.

De Wilde said the post “denies the justification of a statement” read out in open court.

Outside court, Vine said: ‘Joey Barton probably lost himself £450.00 with nine tweets so he needs to find another hobby.’

Mr De Wilde told the hearing that the post “debunks the justification of a statement” that was read out, adding: “It undermines the settlement he reached with Mr Vine and further infringes on his rights.” ‘

The attorney said Barton made four commitments, including that he would not harass Vine or encourage others to do so.

Mr De Wilde said: ‘This morning’s behavior has crossed the line and Mr Vine believes it has crossed the line.’

Mrs Justice Steyn said: ‘In light of the letter from the claimant’s lawyers it seems sensible to me to give the caution which Mr Barton would have received had he made the undertakings in court.

“These are all serious commitments he has made to the court and any breach of them could potentially be punishable by contempt of court.”

In the statement, Mr De Wilde said Vine was “deeply alarmed, saddened and appalled by the defendant’s conduct”, which included a “sustained and deeply damaging campaign of defamation, intimidation and misuse of private information”.

Enfys Jenkins says on behalf of Barton in the statement that the former football player ‘accepts everything that is said on behalf of the plaintiff’.

She added: ‘The defendant would like to apologize for the distress his publications have caused.’

Ms Jenkins later said she had not spoken to her client about the recent video post.

The former footballer was previously forced to share an online apology to Vine, admitting responsibility for what he described as ‘defamation and harassment’.

Jeremy Vine had said that Joey Barton agreeing to pay him £75,000 in damages would not be the final outcome in their defamation case

Barton, 42, had already apologized for his comments on social media and published a post on X in June this year

Vine had vowed that two apologies Barton posted on social media earlier this year would not be the final outcome of their defamation case.

In June he claimed the former footballer had rejected an initial offer to pay the five-figure sum and apologise.

Furthermore, Barton then goes on to write more defamatory tweets to his followers on Vine, including releasing his home address, meaning he will likely have to pay more damages and further action – including an apology in court – will be taken. .

Vine wrote: “The news of Joey Barton’s apology and commitment to pay damages and costs is not the final outcome of this case.

‘After five defamatory tweets, my lawyer offered Barton the chance to settle: pay £75,000, plus my costs, and apologize.

“He ignored that offer and posted more disgusting tweets about me, even publishing my home address to his followers.”

He continued: ‘When I subsequently took my case to the High Court, a judge ruled that ten of the tweets I complained about were defamatory.

‘After the defeat, Barton returned to the offer we made after tweet 5. There has therefore been a parallel action on tweets 6-10 and Barton will pay further damages for this.

‘There are a number of other steps to be taken, including statements made in court in apology, and Barton has agreed to pay my legal costs of all claims.’

High Court judge Ms Steyn ruled on May 24 that a social media post by Barton calling the broadcaster a ‘bike nonce’ was defamatory.

Barton had labeled Vine a “big bike nonce” and a “pedo advocate.”

The tirade of abuse came after Mr Vine questioned whether Mr Barton had a brain injury, following a report in which the footballer compared female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West.

This led to Mr Barton launching a ‘calculated and sustained attack on Mr Vine’ in early January this year, the court heard.

Barton (right) won his only England cap against Spain in February 2007, coming on as a substitute for Frank Lampard (left) at Manchester United’s Old Trafford

Barton started his playing career at Manchester City, which he represented from 2002 to 2007

He later managed Fleetwood Town and then Bristol Rovers, who sacked him last October – he is pictured here during Rovers League One match away to Lincoln City in February last year

Mr Barton published several posts over the following days and began using ‘#bikenonce’ on X, leading to it becoming popular on the platform, the court was told.

Judge Steyn responds: ‘The strong impression given by the claim that the claimant is known as ‘aka bike nonce’, immediately followed by the further claim that he is known as, again, ‘aka pedo defender’, is that the term ‘ nonce’ was used in its primary sense to allege that the plaintiff has a sexual interest in children.

‘Although I do not believe that the hypothetical reader, who would quickly read the message and move on, would infer a causal relationship, ie. that the plaintiff defends pedophiles because he has the same tendency, the combination of the words ‘nonce’ and ‘pedo’ is striking and would reinforce the impression that the former was used in the sense of ‘pedophile’.

‘The reader would have understood that the word ‘bicycle’ was a meaningless aspect of the accusation, serving merely as an indication that this was a label applied to the plaintiff, who was known to be a cyclist, without detracting from the operative word ‘nonce’. ‘.’

William McCormick had said on Barton’s behalf that the posts contained “vulgar abuse” but that he was not defaming Mr Vine and represented “someone posting in the heat of the moment”.

Barton’s career saw him play for teams including not only Manchester City, but also Newcastle United and French side Marseille.

He would later take charge of Fleetwood Town but has been without a club since being sacked as manager of Bristol Rovers in October last year.