Ex-Man City star Joey Barton calls his brother Michael’s racially-motivated murder of Anthony Walker ‘a f***ing scrap’ as he appears to play down how serious the 2005 ice-axe killing was

Joey Barton appeared to downplay his brother Michael Barton’s role in a racially motivated murder in 2005 when he took part in a “damn scrap” in a segment of an upcoming podcast appearance.

Michael – whose brother played for Manchester City at the time of Anthony Walker’s murder – was released from prison in September 2022 after serving 17 years of a life sentence for his part in the murder of the black 18-year-old at McGoldrick Park in Liverpool.

Walker was returning home with his girlfriend Louisa Thompson and cousin Marcus Binns when Michael – accompanied by his cousin Paul Taylor – began hurling racist abuse at Walker, saying ‘walk, n*****, walk’ as the trio passed by .

The pair later chased and obstructed Walker and Taylor drove an ice ax into his skull, leaving the teen brain dead within moments.

Michael and Taylor fled to Amsterdam but later returned to face murder charges and were later tried at Liverpool Crown Court.

A promotional clip for Joey Barton’s appearance on a new podcast appeared to him downplaying his brother’s role in the racially motivated murder of Anthony Walker.

Michael Barton (left) was sentenced to a minimum term of 17 years and 8 months after racially abusing and ambushing Anthony Walker (right) before being beaten with an ice ax

Barton appeared to play down the seriousness of his brother’s crime in promotional material for his appearance on the podcast Anything Goes with James English, which circulated on social media on Thursday.

“My brother lost 17 years of his life starting when he was 17,” Barton said. “Because his buddy, who was his cousin at the time, would think it was a great idea, if they had any damn scrap metal, to pull out an ice ax and swing it at someone, and he stuck it in someone’s head.”

As the clip gained popularity on the social media platform labeled.

A statement shared with Mail Sport by the Anthony Walker Foundation said they found the description ‘factually incorrect’ and ‘lacked any sensitivity given the serious nature of the incident’.

“This year marks the eighteenth anniversary of Anthony’s murder, so we express our hope that Mr. Barton will reflect on the impact of his words and the profound significance of his brother’s actions as he walks the streets a free man Kaushik Mistry said. the foundation CEO continued.

“It is worth noting that Michael Barton did not lose seventeen years of his life. The only life lost that day was Anthony’s, and not for seventeen years, but forever.

“We are saddened that someone of his reach and stature appears to be trivializing the incident that led to such an outcome and is inflicting further pain and suffering on Anthony’s family and friends.”

“The Anthony Walker Foundation will continue to strive for a more inclusive world where an incident like this never happens again,” he added in the statement. ‘Our charity will continue to combat racism, hate crime and discrimination by providing educational opportunities and victim support services and by promoting equality and inclusivity for all.’

During his trial, Michael stated that he believed he was the victim of the murder, and said he bore no responsibility for Walker’s death.

Presiding judge Lord Justice Leveson said the cousins ​​had carried out a ‘terrifying ambush’ and a ‘racist attack of a type poisonous to any civilized society’.

After being sentenced to a minimum term of 17 years and 8 months, Michael’s initial behavior in prison made him a ‘high risk’ inmate, and he was disciplined for offensive acts including fighting, stealing and possessing illegal drink.

However, in 2016, London’s High Court heard that his behavior and attitude had improved dramatically and his sentence was reduced by eight months.

Barton discussed his brother’s role in the murder and subsequent capture earlier in his book

Michael was paroled by the Parole Board in September last year and released just over two years after a BBC drama was made about the life of devout Christian Walker following a collaboration between his mother Gee and screenwriter Jimmy McGovern.

Barton, who grew up in a different household to his brother, described himself at the time as “sickened” by Michael’s actions as he urged him to come forward after fleeing the country.

In his 2016 book ‘No Nonsense’, the former Bristol Rovers manager discussed the murder and mentioned Gee’s strength, calling Walker’s mother ‘a woman of enormous dignity, incredible tolerance, immeasurable moral courage and inspiring goodness’.

He stated that he cannot “forget or forgive” Taylor’s actions, and believed that both men “deserved their punishment,” and wondered if he “could have done more to prevent Walker’s murder.”