Joey Barton apologises and pays £75k to Jeremy Vine in High Court libel settlement over 'bike nonce' remark

Vine had taken legal action against Barton for libel and harassment over 14 online posts, which included calling Vine a “big bike nonce” and a “pedo defender” on X. A High Court judge determined last month that 11 of these posts were defamatory towards Vine.

Barton said: “Between 8 and 12 January 2024 I published 11 posts which accused Jeremy Vine of having a sexual interest in children, and created a hashtag which made the same allegations, which were viewed millions of times. I recognise that this is a very serious allegation. It is untrue. I do not believe that Mr Vine has a sexual interest in children, and I wish to set the record straight.

“I also published posts during the same period in which I referred to Mr Vine having advocated forced vaccination during the Covid 19 pandemic, based upon a video clip of his TV programme. I accept that he did not advocate this policy and that the video clip has been edited to give a misleading impression of what he was in fact saying.

“I then taunted and abused Mr Vine for bringing a legal complaint against me. I have agreed not to make the same allegations again about Mr Vine and I apologise to him for the distress he has suffered. To resolve his claims against me in defamation and harassment, I have agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages and his legal costs.”

During a hearing in London on May 9, lawyers for Vine described Barton’s posts as part of a “calculated and sustained attack” on the broadcaster, which included several abusive tweets made in early January. Barton, who had a career with teams like Manchester City, Newcastle United, Rangers, and Marseille, also started using the hashtag “#bikenonce” on X, causing it to trend, according to the court.

Gervase de Wilde, representing Vine, said the posts contained “clear references to (Mr Vine) having a sexual interest in children” and that the term “nonce” had “an irreducible, defamatory meaning”. William McCormick KC, Barton’s lawyer, argued in an earlier hearing that the posts were “vulgar abuse” but not defamatory, suggesting they were made in the heat of the moment.

However, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that 11 of the posts were defamatory, noting that the term “nonce” was used to imply Vine “has a sexual interest in children” and that the word “bike” was “a meaningless aspect of the accusation.”

Regarding a post that included the phrase “bike nonce,” the judge said: “In my judgement, the hypothetical ordinary reasonable reader would understand the post as taunting, scorning and ridiculing the claimant for his alleged proclivity.

“The jocular tone might be seen by the ordinary reasonable reader as in bad taste, given the subject matter, but it would not lead them to understand that no allegation of having a sexual interest in children was seriously being made.

“Nor would the reader perceive it as meaningless abuse ‘shouted’ in the heat of the moment, as there is nothing in the post that would give that impression.”

‘Not the final outcome’

In his post on X, Vine said: “The news of Joey Barton’s apology and commitment to pay damages and costs is not the final outcome of this case. After five defamatory tweets, my lawyer offered Barton a chance to settle: pay £75k, plus my costs, and make an apology.

“He ignored that offer and posted more disgusting tweets about me, even publishing my home address to his followers. When I then took my case to the High Court, a judge ruled that ten of the tweets I complained of were defamatory. Having lost, Barton has returned to the offer we made after tweet 5.

“There has therefore been a parallel action on tweets 6-10 and Barton will pay further damages for these. A number of other steps — including statements made in Court by way of apology — are still to be taken, and Barton has agreed to pay my legal costs of all of the claims.”