Court rules Joey Barton's defamatory remarks towards Jeremy Vine

Former footballer and manager Joey Barton called broadcaster Jeremy Vine a "bike nonce" on social media. A judge in the high court said this was defamatory. The court ruled that 11 social media posts could harm Vine's reputation. Barton made these comments on X, which used to be called Twitter, between January and March. The judge said these posts were not just meaningless insults but statements that could harm Vine's reputation. Barton's comments were seen as defamatory under the law. The court tried to understand the meaning of Barton's words and images on social media. Barton had also made negative comments about female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward. Vine questioned Barton's remarks, which led to Barton attacking Vine online. Barton's posts suggested that Vine supported forced Covid vaccinations. Barton's posts, seen by millions, called Vine names like "bike nonce" and "pedo defender". These posts led to the term "bike nonce" trending on social media. Vine's lawyers argued that Barton's posts implied Vine had a sexual interest in children. They said the posts caused Vine to face harmful accusations. Barton's lawyers claimed the posts were not meant to be taken seriously and were just insults made in the heat of the moment. However, the judge ruled that Barton's posts could harm Vine's reputation and were not just meaningless insults. The trial is ongoing.