FOOTBALL’S Joey Barton has told a court he was “being provocative to make a point” in posts on female commentators.
The former Bristol Rovers boss said his comparison of Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko to killers Fred and Rose West in 2024 was to suggest they were “murdering” commentary.
Barton, 43, also told Liverpool crown court his post that broadcaster Jeremy Vine was “a bike nonce” was not meant to mean he was a paedo.
He said only those who have played at the top level should be pundits, adding it has been “compromised because of people with no experience in expert positions”.
He added: “I think they murdered the broadcast.
“I was trying to make a serious point in a provocative way.
“It was a joke.”
Barton denies 12 charges of sending malicious communications intending to cause anxiety and distress.
The trial continues.
