Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton pleads not guilty to assaulting his wife

The former Premier League footballer appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court in south west London on Monday morning via video link.

The charge against Barton, 38, of Widnes, Cheshire, relates to an incident at a residential property in Kew, south-west London, on June 2 in which his wife Georgia suffered a head injury.

The court heard Barton allegedly grabbed her by the throat and kicked her in the head during an altercation outside the property, where they had been with two friends.

She was also left with a bloody nose following the incident.

The court heard Mrs Barton then called the police and asked for her husband to be removed from the property.

On Monday Barton spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

He wore a t-shirt and shorts during the hearing.

Barton, a former midfielder, played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle, Queen’s Park Rangers and Marseille during his playing career.

He also appeared once for the England team in 2007.

He then moved into management, starting off with Fleetwood Town from 2018 to 2021 before joining Bristol Rovers earlier this year.

Barton was released on unconditional bail until his trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on December 16.

A case management hearing has been set for November 17.