Joey Barton cleared of assault charge over tunnel incident after match

Former Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has been cleared of pushing over a rival manager at the end of a match, leaving him bloodied and with a broken tooth.
By Press Association
Published 6th Dec 2021, 13:45 BST
Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton who has been found not guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of assaulting former Barnsley coach Daniel Stendel in the tunnel at the end of a League One match, when he was in charge of Fleetwood Town. Issue date: Monday December 6, 2021.Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton who has been found not guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of assaulting former Barnsley coach Daniel Stendel in the tunnel at the end of a League One match, when he was in charge of Fleetwood Town. Issue date: Monday December 6, 2021.
Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton who has been found not guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of assaulting former Barnsley coach Daniel Stendel in the tunnel at the end of a League One match, when he was in charge of Fleetwood Town. Issue date: Monday December 6, 2021.

When the Bristol Rovers manager gave evidence last week, Barton, 39, denied it was him who shoved then-Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel in the tunnel after a League One match between his Fleetwood team and the South Yorkshire side at Oakwell on April 13 2019.

Mr Stendel told a jury at Sheffield Crown Court how he was walking down the tunnel in the corner of the ground after his side’s 4-2 victory when he was knocked over by a push from behind, causing him to hit his face on the metal structure.

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Video footage shown repeatedly during the trial showed Mr Stendel entering the tunnel followed by Barton, jogging, a moment later.

The jury took under two hours to find Barton not guilty of one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a week-long trial.