India, Dec. 8 -- Former footballer Joey Barton has received a six-month custodial sentence, which is suspended for 18 months, due to a series of offensive posts made on social media between January and March 2024.

Barton, aged 43, was convicted last month at Liverpool crown court on six counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with the intent to cause distress or anxiety, specifically for posts aimed at football pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, as well as broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

While sentencing Barton on Monday, Judge Andrew Menary KC told the former England international that "robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech. But when posts deliberately target indivi...