Former Birmingham City footballer and current TV pundit Eni Aluko expressed shock after Joey Barton compared her to notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West in a social media post, a court has heard.
Despite previously exchanging friendly and supportive private messages over several years, Barton shocked Ms. Aluko with a public tweet likening her and fellow commentator Lucy Ward to the “Fred and Rose West of football commentary” following an FA Cup match in January 2024.
The Liverpool Crown Court heard that Ms. Aluko, a former England international who played for Chelsea and Juventus, had a long-standing, positive rapport with Barton, who has played for Manchester City and Newcastle United. The pair had commended each other’s professional achievements and exchanged encouraging messages between 2017 and 2020.
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“I was genuinely appreciative of his support," Ms. Aluko testified. “That’s why I was so astounded by a comparison to serial killers. If he had criticisms of my punditry, I would have welcomed a private message, but this was a public, malicious attack designed for maximum attention, coinciding with his podcast promotion.”
In one follow-up post, Barton escalated the insult by suggesting Ms. Aluko belonged to “the Joseph Stalin/Pol Pot category” in a message that insinuated she had “murdered millions of football fans’ ears.” Ms. Aluko described feeling devastated and under siege by the relentless online attacks.
“It felt paralysing,” she told the court. “I couldn’t leave my house for about a week. I was anxious, upset, and depressed. I even disguised myself to go out for essentials.”
Ms. Aluko revealed the emotional toll severely impacted her career: “It has irrevocably changed my appetite to be a broadcaster. The hostile environment created by these posts made me cancel several engagements and perform at less than my best.”
Defence counsel Simon Csoka KC questioned whether Ms. Aluko believed Barton’s comments implied they had committed actual murders. She replied, “I took it as grossly offensive. Seeing my name alongside Fred and Rose West could easily make someone believe I was being accused of serious crimes.”
Barton faces 12 counts of sending grossly offensive electronic communications intended to cause distress or anxiety, covering dozens of posts from January to March 2024. The trial continues.