Joey Barton - What is a Section 18?

Rhys Rosser • March 11, 2026

Joey Barton's week went from bad to worse, having been ordered to pay Eni Aluko £300,000 he was then refused bail having been arrested for an offence of Section 18 GBH

On 10 March 2026, Joey Barton had been charged with an offence of Section 18 Grievous Bodily Harm with intent.


This offence arises out of the Offences Against the Person Act 1860, a reasonably old piece of legislation but one which continues to deal with offences which fall just short of where death is caused.


In order to be guilty of Section 18, the prosecution must prove the following:

  1. That "really serious harm" or a "wound" was caused - this is taken to having its usual English definition;
  2. That it was caused unlawfully i.e. not in self-defence or lawful defence of another - this must mean that if some evidence is raised the prosecution need to prove it went beyond what was necessary and proportionate;
  3. That it was Joey Barton who caused the injury.


The case is likely to be slightly more complex than the above because there are two Defendants, as such it may involve issues of joint enterprise depending on how the prosecution put their case.


It is perhaps unsurprising that Mr Barton was refused bail, the maximum sentence for an offence of Section 18 is life imprisonment and Mr Barton is already subject to a suspended sentence for calling Jeremy Vine a "bike nonce".


That means that because the offence was committed during the currency of the suspended sentence, if Mr Barton is convicted the suspended sentence will be activated unless it is "unjust" to do so.


The sentencing guidelines suggest that a lengthy custodial sentence will follow for Mr Barton, even if it falls towards the lower end of the guidelines.

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