Prison holds no fear for Barton

Newcastle's Joey Barton insists he does not fear going to prison if he is found guilty of assaulting former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

The 25-year-old has pleaded not guilty to a charge of actual bodily harm and now faces a trial, which is expected to start in June 2008.

"If you go to prison for defending yourself then, yes, I suppose I'll think about it," he told the BBC.

"But I don't care. It doesn't scare me at all. I've done nothing wrong."

Inside Sport: Joey Barton

The alleged assault took place at City's training ground on 1 May.

If found guilty, the England midfielder could face a sentence of up to five years in jail but he said: "I can go home and sleep at night and know I've done what I thought was right.

"I don't think I'm a bad person. If the incidents I've been involved in had been to anyone other than a Premier League footballer, I don't think they'd even be mentioned.

"It was something that I've seen five, six, seven times since I've been a professional footballer."

Barton says his reputation has left him short of support among fans.

"Nobody cares whether I'm innocent or guilty - nobody cares. I'm already guilty before I've been sat in front of a judge - that's the disappointing thing," he said.

"It's my reputation. It's my fault I've got that reputation, but you shouldn't be slaughtered for trying to make yourself a better person. One day I will get to speak about the full facts."

Barton was suspended by City and subsequently sold to Newcastle United in a �5.8m deal in June.

He returned to action for the Magpies in November following a metatarsal injury that had kept him out since the summer.

Listen to Five Live Sport tonight from 1900 GMT. See Barton on Inside Sport from 1120 GMT.

3 December, 2320 GMT, BBC ONE

Source: BBC Sport