Joey Barton faces new assault trial after being accused of leaving wife with ‘golf ball-sized bruise’
Joey Barton faces a new criminal trial over an allegation he assaulted his wife during a row outside their home back in June 2021.
High Court judges ruled on Friday that proceedings against the 41-year-old – which had previously been paused – should go ahead.
The former Manchester City footballer was accused of assaulting his wife, Georgia Barton, in a drunken row – which he denied – and was due to face trial at a magistrates’ court in 2022.
He had been accused of grabbing his wife by the throat and kicking her in the head during an argument outside their home in Kew, southwest London, in June 2021.
Mrs Barton was said to have been left with a golf ball-sized bruise on her forehead and a bleeding nose after the alleged attack.
However, the case was adjourned after Mrs Barton sent a letter to prosecutors retracting her allegations.
A judge then ordered that proceedings be paused over concerns a trial would be unfair to Mr Barton after prosecutors said they did not plan to ask Mrs Barton to give evidence in court.
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Wife did not support prosecution
At the time of the alleged attack, Mr Barton denied a charge of assault by beating after he was arrested by police at his home.
But Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard in March 2022 that Mrs Barton wrote to prosecutors a month before the scheduled trial to claim she was injured accidentally when friends intervened in an argument between the pair, having both drunk “four or five bottles of wine”.
Mrs Barton did not support the prosecution and was not due to be called as a prosecution witness during the trial over fears she would give an untruthful account of events.
Lawyers for Mr Barton said this would leave him at a disadvantage as it meant she could not be questioned over inconsistencies in her evidence.
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The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Stephen Parkinson, appealed against the decision to pause proceedings at the High Court in London, with barristers arguing at a hearing last month that a fair trial could go ahead.
In a judgment on Friday, two senior judges ruled in the DPP’s favour and said Mr Barton should face a trial over the allegations in front of a different judge.
Dame Victoria Sharp said the previous judge’s decision “was wrong in principle”.
She said the prosecution is only obliged to call witnesses who have provided witness statements they plan to rely on and it was not “an abuse of process” to not call Mrs Barton.
She continued: “In the circumstances of this case, it would have been proper for the defence to have called Mrs Barton, and for the prosecution to have cross-examined her.”
The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Saini, added that Mrs Barton had never provided a witness statement and had also “expressed an unwillingness from the outset to give evidence against her husband”.
Dame Victoria concluded: “No prejudice could conceivably have been caused to Mr Barton if Mrs Barton had been called by the defence, or by the court for that matter.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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