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."
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.
