Former England footballer and pundit Eni Aluko has been awarded more than £300,000 damages and legal costs after suing Joey Barton for libel over social media posts.

Pundit Aluko brought legal action against Barton over two posts he made in 2024 on social media site X. Earlier the High Court heard the case had been stayed, meaning proceedings were halted and Barton was ordered to pay "substantial" damages and Aluko's legal costs.

Gervase de Wilde, for Aluko, said that in the two X posts Barton, from Huyton, had wrongly claimed she had "cynically sought to exploit her status as an alleged victim of racism and bullying", and that she was a hypocrite.

Barton - who managed Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers - did not attend the hearing, with Mr de Wilde telling the court that he was arrested on Monday and is currently being held in custody. He was charged with assault earlier after a man was attacked near a golf course in Huyton, on Merseyside earlier.

De Wilde said that between January and August 2024, Barton published 48 posts relating to Aluko on his X account, adding that he had "carried out a deliberately targeted public campaign of vilification". He said one post included an image of Aluko's head superimposed onto serial killer Rosemary West's body. "The campaign amounted to an attack on multiple aspects of her life and personality," he said.

"Mr Barton's campaign caused Ms Aluko enormous distress. When she sought to defend herself against Mr Barton's conduct, and that of his followers, he criticised and attacked her for doing so."

De Wilde said Aluko was worried that however she tried to stop the harassment, Barton "would exploit and manipulate it to use against her". The barrister said: "Mr Barton has now accepted that his campaign against Ms Aluko amounted to harassment and that he should not have made the publications."

According to a court order seen by the Press Association, Barton has been told to pay £339,000, with the first £100,000 plus interest due by March 24. Justice Nicholas Lavender granted Barton seven days to ask to change the order. Aluko attended the London court earlier and said: "I'm glad it's the end."

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