Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray.
Barton, 25, was arrested in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 after he was involved in a confrontation outside a McDonald's restaurant in the city.
The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday.
Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act".
His club said in a statement: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today.
"The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."
Barton, originally from Huyton, Merseyside, began his football career with Manchester City in 2002.
He was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7409943.stm
Barton, 25, was arrested in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 after he was involved in a confrontation outside a McDonald's restaurant in the city.
The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday.
Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act".
His club said in a statement: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today.
"The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."
Barton, originally from Huyton, Merseyside, began his football career with Manchester City in 2002.
He was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7409943.stm