Bail refusal keeps former midfielder Joey Barton in custody
Former Premier League midfielder Joey Barton will remain in custody after a renewed bail application was refused by Judge David Potter at Liverpool Crown Court, where the 44‑year‑old appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool. He was remanded pending a pre‑trial hearing scheduled for 11 December.
Bail refusal and court hearing
The case, originally due to be heard last week, has been adjourned until March next year, meaning Barton will have spent a full twelve months on remand by the time the trial commences.
Barton is accused of attacking Kevin Lynch, 51, outside the Huyton and Prescot Golf Club on 8 March, an incident that left the former non‑league manager with serious injuries to an eye.
Lynch, who founded the special‑education NexGen Academy, previously managed Prescot Cables in Merseyside.
During the hearing, Barton, dressed in a grey zip‑up fleece, nodded as Judge Potter rejected his renewed bail request, citing ongoing ‘intractable problems’ that prevent the trial from starting on 1 September.
A pre‑trial hearing is set for 11 December, after which the case will proceed to trial on 8 March 2027.
Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA View image in fullscreen. The story was also highlighted in a Guardian piece found via Google.