Joey Barton could lose prison privileges after phone and tobacco found in his cell

Joey Barton, often portrayed as English football’s bad boy, faces a serious problem in prison after refusing to inform on other inmates. The former Manchester City, QPR and Newcastle player could lose certain prison privileges after a mobile phone and tobacco were found in his cell.

The prohibited items were found during a search carried out by officers from the anti-corruption unit at Liverpool prison, HMP Liverpool. Barton denies doing anything wrong. While he does not want to implicate other prisoners, officials are seeking to establish whether he may have been forced to keep the items on behalf of third parties.

According to a source, the 44-year-old former footballer’s public profile makes him a target for criminals in prison, with dangerous inmates potentially having pressured him into storing the contraband. The discovery of the items could therefore lead to an extension of his sentence and the loss of privileges.

Possible sanctions include being banned from watching television, going to the gym and spending time outside his cell. He could also receive an additional prison sentence.

The former Bristol Rovers and Fleetwood Town manager is on remand after being accused of causing grievous bodily harm to a man in an alleged assault at a golf club. The case, involving Huyton and Prescot Golf Club in Merseyside on 8 March 2026, could result in a further six months in prison.

A new date has been set for his trial in the alleged assault: 8 March 2027, one year after the incident.

In 2025, Barton was found guilty and given a sentence equivalent to 12 weeks in prison for assaulting his wife at their London home in June 2021, according to British media. However, he was not due to be sent to prison. He had kicked his then-partner, Georgia Barton, in the head, causing a lump and a nosebleed, after drinking alcohol with other couples while their children were asleep.