Joey Barton will not be released from prison before his trial. The former midfielder ofOlympique de Marseille a vu sa nouvelle demande de remise en liberté sous caution rejetée ce lundi par la Liverpool Crown Court. Âgé de 44 ans, l’Anglais restera donc en détention provisoire jusqu’à l’ouverture de son procès, fixée au 8 mars 2027, soit exactement un an après les faits qui lui sont reprochés.
The former England international has been jailed since the spring in connection with this alleged assault case . He is being prosecuted for intentionally causing serious injury to Kevin Lynch, 51, a former amateur football coach. Barton denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty.
A new request for release has been rejected.
Joey Barton was originally scheduled to go on trial in early September 2026 in Liverpool . But the trial was ultimately postponed for more than six months, until March 8, 2027.
Faced with this additional delay, his lawyers filed a new request for bail. This was examined on Monday by Judge David Potter, who rejected it. Joey Barton, who participated in the hearing via video conference from Liverpool prison, was therefore remanded in custody. A new preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 11, 2026.
If he remains incarcerated until his trial, the former Marseille player will have spent a year in pre-trial detention before the jurors even decide on his guilt or innocence.
An alleged assault after an evening at a golf club
The events date back to March 8, 2026, in Huyton, near Liverpool. Joey Barton is accused of assaulting Kevin Lynch after the two men spent time at the Huyton and Prescot Golf Club.
The victim reportedly suffered serious injuries, including to his face and one eye. Police responded that evening after being alerted to an assault. Barton was subsequently arrested and taken into custody. Another man, Gary O'Grady, was initially charged in the same case. However, the charges against him were dropped in June 2026.
Barton had already been convicted of domestic violence.
This new legal case comes after a conviction handed down in March 2025 against Joey Barton for violence committed against his wife Georgia in June 2021.
Westminster Magistrates' Court found him guilty of pushing her to the ground and then kicking her in the head during an argument. She suffered a nosebleed and a bump on her forehead. When she called emergency services, she said, "My husband just hit me in the house." Barton was ultimately sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.
One season wearing the OM jersey
Having played for Manchester City , Newcastle, Queens Park Rangers, and Glasgow Rangers, Joey Barton also wore the Olympique de Marseille jersey during the 2012-2013 season. A high-profile figure during his time in France, the English midfielder continued his career in Great Britain before hanging up his boots in 2017 and becoming a coach. His trial for the alleged assault of Kevin Lynch is now scheduled to begin on March 8, 2027, and is expected to last approximately two weeks. Until then, while OM is currently experiencing a difficult start to the season , their former midfielder will remain behind bars in Liverpool.
