Former Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has received a suspended sentence for offensive posts on social media. The BBC reports this.
The former footballer published six posts criticizing TV presenter Jeremy Vine and football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, comparing them to serial killers.
According to the ruling of the Liverpool Crown Court, the Englishman "crossed the line between free speech and a crime." He was sentenced to six months of imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a £20,000 fine.
Barton played for Manchester City from 2002 to 2007.
