Joey Barton, the former footballer, is currently facing claims that paint him as “an undiluted, unapologetic bully,” rather than the champion of free speech he purports to be, a jury heard today.

Prosecutors argue that Barton, who once played for Manchester City and Newcastle, is far from being a victim of “political correctness.” Instead, they contend that his actions have sunk to a level unworthy of public discourse.

Now 43, Barton is on trial facing 12 charges related to allegedly posting “grossly offensive” tweets directed at women football commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, as well as broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

The prosecution asserts that Barton’s tweets, which included comparisons of Ward and Aluko to infamous serial killers Fred and Rose West and referred to Vine as “a bike nonce,” were meant to instigate distress and anxiety.

However, Barton’s defense lawyer argued to the jury that the right to free speech is essential, even if it means tolerating comments that are hurtful or in poor taste.

In his closing statement, Prosecutor Peter Wright KC emphasized that Barton is not being judged merely for using offensive language, but the intent behind his words is under scrutiny.

‘He is on trial because on each of those occasions he crossed the line,’ he said. ‘He crossed the line by some considerable margin and he did it again and again.

Joey Barton pictured arriving at Liverpool Crown Court for his trial where earlier this week he told jurors he was the victim of a ‘political prosecution’, saying: ‘This is a hatchet job’

Five of the tweets related to football commentators Eni Aluko (pictured) and Lucy Ward

TV soccer pundit Lucy Ward (pictured) told jurors she was left feeling ‘scared and vulnerable’ by the ‘abuse’ levelled at her by former football star Joey Barton 

‘He crossed the line between exercising a democratic right to freedom of expression, however unpleasant in terms of exercising it, and a crime.

‘This was not a robust exchange of firmly held views. It was undiluted bullying of another. It was a campaign of such bullying.

‘He is just simply an undiluted, unapologetic bully. 

‘A little bully who takes pleasure sitting there with his phone in his hand and then posting these slurs.’

‘He is not some form of political prisoner. 

‘He is simply a little bully who has been found out but like most bullies he didn’t like it when those posts were met by a dignified silence or a rebuke in the form of a public disapproval.

‘The sad reality is that this man simply descended into behaviour that was worthy only of the gutter.

‘Joseph Barton is not a proponent of free speech. He is just an undiluted, unreconstructed cyberbully.’

Joey Barton (left) says that he is in fear of being sent to jail in a ‘hatchet job’ court case after going on trial accused of writing ‘grossly offensive’ tweets directed at football commentators Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko and also broadcaster Jeremy Vine (right)

Barton’s barrister Simon Csoka KC, told the jury in his closing speech that they could not be sure that Barton had ‘crossed the line of what is tolerable in a free society where free speech is valued.’

‘Free speech is so valuable and it needs to be protected and cherished,’ he said. 

‘But there is a price to be paid for that and one of the prices is that people will say things that are hurtful, offensive and in bad taste.

‘They may get it wrong as a wind up and may not realise the impact of what they say. 

‘They may make vile jokes but these are all things which can be tolerated because free speech is so important. 

‘Is that not a price worth paying?’

Mr Csoka said it was obvious that the tweets referencing Fred and Rose West were never intended to suggest that Ward and Aluko were serial killers.

He also said it was obvious that calling Mr Vine ‘a bike nonce’ was not suggesting the broadcaster was a paedophile.

Mr Csoka said he accepted that Barton had used ‘puerile and vulgar expressions in a cack-handed attempt at being sardonic.’

But he said: ‘Are you going to draw the line there? 

‘These idiotic, immature tweets do not go beyond the line. 

‘Do you not think that there was some misjudgement by Mr Barton here? That he did not think it through?

‘But someone is entitled to wind up another person. 

‘You cannot be sure that the tweets were intended to cause anxiety or distress and crossed the line of what is tolerable in society.’

Barton denies 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.