The truth behind Joe Barton’s idyllic social media posts – Does his assault conviction challenge his reputation as the bravest WAG’s husband in Britain?

Georgia McNeill was labeled ‘the most courageous WAG in Britain’ after choosing to reside with the infamous footballer Joey Barton shortly following his release from prison for a violent street altercation – ultimately tying the knot with him.

Sadly, yesterday illustrated that those who had doubts about her decision were tragically correct, as Barton was found guilty of a brutal attack on Georgia and given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

In an unusual turn of events, Barton’s prosecution and conviction proceeded without the cooperation of the victim, as Georgia actively tried to prevent her husband from facing consequences for his actions.

In a tearful 999 call minutes after the attack at the couple’s west London home, Mrs Barton said her husband ‘just hit me in the house’.

And later that evening she was filmed on police body-worn cameras telling officers she had been ‘pushed down and kicked about’ as her children slept upstairs.

But soon she would retract this version of events and insist she had been too drunk to remember what had happened that evening. And she even insisted to the court: ‘Life is great with Joseph.’

Now MailOnline can reveal that this pattern of behaviour has been going on throughout their time together as Georgia has repeatedly attempted to portray volatile and violent Barton as the perfect husband – and their family life as an idyllic one.

Georgia regularly posts happy family pictures on Instagram as she enjoys days out and exotic holidays with Barton and their four children Cassius, 12, Pieta, 10, Penn, six, and two-year-old Etienne.

In one image of the couple together posted in June 2023, Georgia wrote: ‘Four years married today – 16 years together. We’ve got four perfect kids, a great life and loads to look forward to. Wouldn’t want to be doing it with anyone else. Love you.’

Her most recent postings include a video of the family enjoying a ride on an inflatable boat during a holiday in Dubai.

Even in the days after the assault, she posted a loving message to her husband celebrating Father’s Day.

She wrote: ‘The kids absolutely adore you. Thank you for everything you do for them.’

Barton, 42, and Georgia, 38, are understood to have been childhood sweethearts after growing up together in Liverpool.

Their relationship was first publicly revealed in 2007 after Barton transferred from Manchester City to Newcastle and the couple set up home together in Jesmond.

His time in Manchester came to an abrupt end after a training ground assault on teammate Ousmane Dabo which led to him being handed a four-month suspended sentence.

Georgia stood by Barton when he was jailed for six months after he punched one man 20 times before an attack which left a teenage boy with broken teeth in Liverpool city centre on December 27, 2007.

Barton – who made just one appearance for England – admitted he had a problem with alcohol and told how he ‘despised’ the man he became in drink and vowed to be ‘a far more responsible individual’ through ‘total abstinence’.

Barton served 74 days of his prison term before being released on July 28, 2008.

In August that year former Manchester City youth team player Jamie Tandy pursued a civil claim against Barton who he accused of stubbing out a lit cigar in his eye.

After he was freed from jail one friend of Barton said at the time: ‘He’s besotted. Georgia was there for him when he came out of jail and he told her he’s turned over a new leaf.

‘She wants to get his life back on track.’

But a friend of Georgia’s appeared more doubtful saying: ‘She wants her head looking at shacking up with that thug. Blokes like him never change.

‘Georgia thinks she will live a WAG’s life happily ever after. Her friends hope that she’s right but a few can’t help thinking she’s going to be let down.’

Barton went on to play for Queens Park Rangers, Marseille, Burnley and Rangers in Scotland before finishing his career at Burnley.

It was at QPR that Barton shocked fans after deciding to play in a match despite Georgia going into labour with their first child.

He belatedly dashed to London’s Portland Street private hospital telling fans on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Game done, now to hospital. Missus is going into labour. Great timing luv #nosleeptonight.’

The couple eventually tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at the Aynhoe Park country estate in Banbury, Oxfordshire in June 2019.

And Barton’s vile assault on Georgia came two days short of their second wedding anniversary.

But it’s not just on social media that Georgia puts on a front of being a happily married mother.

Neighbours told how just days after Barton’s arrest for attacking her, the couple held a lavish party at their second home in Cheshire where members of her family were in attendance.

The contrast between the image that Georgia tries to portray of him and Barton’s own vitriolic outbursts and political posturing on his social media accounts couldn’t be more stark.

Because on top of his history of violence, Barton has been a toxic figure in the media and on social media for over a decade.

During an appearance on the BBC’s Question Time in 2014 he was forced to apologise after describing UKIP as the best of ‘four really ugly girls’ during a heated debate.

He later said: ‘I couldn’t think of a better (analogy) It’s my first time. Maybe I was a little bit nervous….I may have upset one or two women with an ill-conceived metaphor’.

Barton’s pent up anger appeared to reach new levels in his frequent rants on podcasts and social media which has landed him in hot water when he began targeting women commentators and pundits commenting on men’s matches.

When Lionesses hero Mary Earps won BBC Sports Personality of the Year, in 2023 , Barton posted: ‘Sports Personality of the Year! More f****** nonsense.

‘Well done to all involved….So the best sports person this year is… a Women Goalie. Lost in a couple of finals this year. Not won a sausage. So popular that Nike didn’t even sell a replica jersey before the tournament.’

He then added: ‘I’d score 100 out of 100 penalties against Mary Earps. Any day of the week. Twice on a f****** Sunday.’

He followed the tirade with an appearance on Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show on which he claimed that the use of female pundits and presenters in men’s football was part of a ‘woke agenda’.

Barton singled out rising BBC star Alex Scott saying: ‘She hasn’t played in it (the men’s game)…One is 200 years old and one is about 40 years old… It’s the same rules but football is about a lot more than rules… The games are at two different speeds.’

Then, in January 2024, Barton branded two female commentators, ITV’s Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward with abusive remarks adding that women ‘aren’t qualified’ to talk about the game.

He later claimed that making such sexist comments was his duty to his grandfather and ‘thousands of men like him’ who fought in the First World War.

Last December Barton appeared at the High Court in London in a libel case brought by Aluko.

Her lawyer told the court that the ‘natural and ordinary meaning’ of posts by Barton about Aluko had suggested she was dishonest and hypocritical. Barton’s lawyer contested this. The case is ongoing.

His latest social media attack came yesterday aimed at the chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, who had just handed down his sentence.

After a follower wrote that Mr Goldspring had convicted Barton of ‘a crime his own wife says didn’t happen’, Barton added that he ‘also allowed Huw Edwards to walk free for having child abuse images and was disciplined for describing Hamas’s as a ‘worthy cause’.’

Barton responded: ‘If you don’t get a jury of your peers in this country, you don’t get a fair trial. Even then with this politicalization of the judiciary system, you’re up against it.

‘And we all laugh at Russia and North Korea. Britain is no longer a country of law. The game is bent.’

Barton also wrote on X that he would appeal the court decision, saying said he was ‘disappointed’ with the ruling. 

Barton had initially been due to face trial for his attack on Georgia in 2022 after pleading not guilty to assault by beating but the case was halted when Georgia retracted her initial claims.

But the High Court ruled last year that the trial could go ahead and that the previous decision to drop the case was ‘wrong in principle’.

In an interview Barton later gave his account of what happened saying: ‘There’s been a disagreement, there’s been raised voices, it’s kicked off in the house, drink-related, but we were fine within 24, 48 hours afterwards’.

Describing the aftermath of the incident on their family he said: ‘I’ve got to stay at our house in London that’s where they bailed me to and Georgia’s gone back to our house in Liverpool. There’s a restraining order on you, you’re not allowed to see your own kids, it lasted about ten days.

‘You have social workers coming and siphoning the kids off and asking them questions. They are there to protect people who are being beat up by their partner. I don’t blame the police or the social services. If there’s not a 999 call, if we’re not arguing, then it doesn’t get to that stage.’

He added of the fall out: ‘I was deeply embarrassed. When I picked up the kids from school I was thinking these mums and dads are thinking I’ve been beating my missus up, especially with my narrative.

‘If you knew my background, you’d think, ‘He’s a violent man.’ It couldn’t be further from the truth. Me and my missus very, very rarely argue. She’s been a real strength in my life. I feel really safe when I am with her.’

And Georgia after the night of the attack, which left her with a ‘golf ball-sized’ lump on her forehead where Barton had kicked her, was keen to suggest that she felt safe with him too.

Georgia insisted: ‘I’m not a victim. I’ve never been a victim.’

And she later claimed that she had drunk too much wine to remember what happened after an argument erupted while the couple were entertaining family and friends,

But this week a magistrate branded her account of the incident ‘unbelievable’ as he handed Barton the suspended prison sentence for the assault at their family home in south west London in June 2021.

The attack happened just days before the couple were due to celebrate their second wedding anniversary.

After withdrawing the domestic violence allegations, Georgia insisted she just wanted to move on with her life.

And judging by her social media output she appears to be still intent on doing just that – even if very few are convinced.