Joey Barton's agent claims the press "hounded" his client after reports today that he jumped a red light as he drove to meet his probation officer.
Pictures in the Daily Mirror show Newcastle midfielder Barton's Range Rover Sport using bus lanes to pass vehicles on the inside lane in Newcastle city centre.
Willie McKay, Barton's representative, said he was not aware of the details of the incident but questioned the actions of the photographer who took the pictures.
"Why are they following him? It is a disgrace. What would you do if people followed you in a car?" he said.
"What is the guy meant to do? He doesn't know who is in the car, does he?"
The claims come on the day the 26-year-old is due to appear before the Football Association for a hearing after he assaulted former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.
The former England star received a four-month suspended sentence for assaulting Dabo and also spent 74 days in jail after being sentenced to six months' imprisonment for assault and affray for a separate incident.
He was jailed for assaulting Jordan Spencer, then aged 16, in the early hours of December 27 last year outside a Liverpool city centre McDonald's.
Mr McKay confirmed Barton would face a personal hearing today but said he hoped his client would soon be able to put the incident behind him.
"I expect a guy that has committed a crime and has done his time now and the Government has set rules and regulations that you do your crime and do your time, after that they want you to be rehabilitated.
"I think if it was Joe Bloggs on the street, he would not even have got that and enough is enough, to tell you the truth," he said.
"People follow him and hound him in his apartment block. Who do these people think they are to hound people for a story for a newspaper?
"It doesn't happen in America."
The Daily Mirror claims Barton drove along four bus lanes and past 14 "No Car" signs as he rushed to avoid heavy traffic.
After a 35-minute trip he arrived at the probation services office and emerged 35 minutes later.
Northumbria Police said today officers had not yet seen the original tape of the incident.
Detective Chief Inspector Allan Brown said: "We are looking into the matter and if any offences have been committed we will investigate."
Barton's hopes of a successful return to the playing field will be further diminished with the news of the resignation of Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan, who was one of his most outspoken supporters.
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor predicted the footballer would fare worse at the FA disciplinary hearing without his former manager's support.
"There is no Kevin Keegan to speak for him so I think we can expect a number of games suspension but hopefully some will be suspended to try to encourage some better behaviour from him," he told Radio 5 Live.
"They will want to make an example to look to make sure it does not happen again.
"I think most players accept they are seen as role models and not only are they expected to behave in the best manner on and off the pitch but also to contribute to the community."
Last month it emerged two of Barton's past victims were taking legal action against him.
Solicitors for Jamie Tandy, 23, said he was suing Barton for allegedly wrecking his playing career by stubbing a lit cigar in his face.
Mr Tandy was a trainee with Manchester City at the time when Barton, who was a senior player and emerging star, attacked him during the 2004 Christmas party.
Mr Tandy claims he suffered a "major psychiatric deterioration".
Barton has also been served with a claim from Mr Spencer and will next be dealt with on November 7 at Liverpool County Court.
As part of his punishment, Barton was ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to Mr Spencer, whose teeth were smashed in the attack.
But the 17-year-old felt the sum was insufficient and lodged the claim for damages.
Your Comments
Irishlfc_fan
"Man's agent defends him. Wow. So why is Willie McKay described as "despicable" on your home page. I'm no expert but that seems to be bordering on libel to me. "
mdb123_3000
"doesnt happen in america my ass, the paparazzi over here is just as bad"
jide
"I personally believe in second chances, but please barton, show some remorse and as for the agent, well, je is an agent, isn't he?"
russatron
"Who cares if he drives in a buslane? Are the daily mirror really that desperate for stories? Crap paper. Barton is a kn@b but all that fuss over the tackle on nasri is ridiculous too. He hardly touched him. And then nasri tripping him up is plain girly. "
xiscodown
"The police will do nothing. Because the paper (a little bit of me dies inside if i say a tabloid's name) will not hand the video over to them as it incriminates the hack and they already have their story. And will the police be prosecuting the person in the Peugeot as well?
Don't get me wrong, Barton has acted like a k*ob, it doesn't justify being a k*ob too though."
kyriisgay
"It angers me that you refer to Joey Barton as an England star! When has Joey Barton ever been a England star, caps don't make you a star playing brilliantly does. Not only does it annoy me you refer to Joey Barton as a England star(never was, never will be!) but in this currnet climate players are stars for their team such as Gerrard and Rooney but not England. There are no England stars and certainly not a unedu"
Kaiser_Soeze
"Joey barton is a greasy turd."
cfrobbo
"Probably the only time I'll ever say this... WELL IN THE PAPARAZZI!! He deserves to be hounded and his life made miserable for a while, it'll blow away eventually but in the meantime maybe it'll make him realise his actions have consequences... though that's not likely... he should be banned for at least a season maybe that will have a better impact."
shedzy
"id say he gets what he deserves, but he clealry doesnt
he deserves far worse."
skippy
"Barton is an animal and there should be no space for him in the english game! This is a man that has been inside for an attack on a night out, has assaulted team mates.
In my eyes if you are playing for a premiership club and taking home wages of inexcess of 50,000 a week, you owe it to the fans and the general public to conduct yourself in a certain way.
It obvious that barton does not have a brain, anyone would swap what he has in an instant.
Why do you never see gerrad or owen or giggs in the papers, because they understand what they have and that they dont want to risk it!
Why keegan put him on the weekend I do not know, and to have a nibble at nasri straight away, the boy has not learnt his lesson and never will!!!!!
"
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