Barton’s posts scared me, commentator Ward tells jury

Lucy Ward, a TV football commentator, claimed Joey Barton’s social media posts made her “physically scared” and intimidated.

With messages on X about Ms Ward, fellow football pundit Eni Aluko, and broadcaster Jeremy Vine, former Manchester City player Mr. Barton is alleged to have “crossed the line between free speech and a crime.”

Mr. Barton, 43, is charged with 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with the intent to cause distress or anxiety, which he denies. He is accused of having 2. 7 million followers on the platform.

Ms. Ward testified that she “knew he would get to me at one point” because, in addition to Mr. Barton’s general view, he did not like women making comments on men’s football.

When asked about the post, she responded, “Intimidated,” as per prosecutor Peter Wright KC. Being the subject of someone else’s abuse was very unpleasant.

I’m attempting to do my job. One of the few women who does it already overcomes many barriers. With that occurring, it’s challenging to do your job.

I couldn’t really figure out why I was being called that because Fred and Rose West tortured, sexually abused, and murdered children. It initially was extremely harsh, but it obviously kept going.

I was getting to the point where I was physically scared, really. It was constant harassment, or bullying, in my opinion.

Later, Widnes, Cheshire resident Mr. Barton superimposed her face and Ms. Aluko’s on to a picture of the Wests.

Before beginning her 20-year broadcasting career, Ms. Ward, who played women’s football for Leeds United before taking over as head of education and welfare, told the court, “I just thought this is going to explode in a really negative way.

You don’t want to be compared to someone who tortured, sexually abused, and killed children because I’m in the public eye, I’m always at games, and I’m one of them.

You can only offer your own expertise on the men’s game if you were in the men’s game, according to Simon Csoka KC, who is defending.

Not necessarily, Ms. Ward said. Football is a game.

If you know what you’re talking about, you don’t need to have done it.

There is a significant difference between the men’s and women’s games, according to Mr. Csoka.

The women win things, Ms. Ward said to cheers in the court.

You get what Mr. Csoka meant when he said, “You know what that means when you say that someone is murdering the commentary.”

Yes, it’s not very pleasant, said Ms. Ward.

You “understood what was being said,” Mr. Csoka said.

You understand what that analogy was, Mr. Csoka said, “Although the image of your face and Eni Aluko’s face are superimposed on Fred and Rose West’s image is undoubtedly unpleasant.”

“Unless you have been on the receiving end of it, I think,” Ms. Ward said. It is horrifying.

After the pair had previously exchanged “friendly, supportive” private messages, the court later learned that Ms. Aluko was “astounded” by Mr. Barton’s post, which compared her to the Wests.

Chelsea and Juventus international footballer, who played for England before, claimed that they exchanged messages between 2017 and 2020.

“I would have anticipated that if he had made a comment about my punditry, he might have messaged me and said it. However, she said, that he did that in front of as many people as possible to get as much attention as possible, all while promoting a podcast.

She claimed to the court that her comments about him had left her feeling “completely intimidated and depressed,” adding that she had been unable to leave my house for “about a week.”

The alleged crimes, which were reported to have occurred between January and March of last year, are denied by Mr. Barton.