Former Manchester City trainee Jamie Tandy has partly blamed Joey Barton for a string of assaults that he committed on his partner Lisa Stewart.

Tandy found himself in the headlines 11 years ago when Barton shoved a lit cigar in his face during City's Christmas party celebrations.

Up in court today on a number of assault charges, Tandy, who saw his career peter out before he turned professional, said via his legal team that the incident with Barton - now of Burnley - had a huge impact on his life

"He was sufficiently talented that until the age of 23 he was contracted to Manchester City. That all came to an end during one particularly unpleasant and notorious night," he said. "It was a Christmas party, so this time of year has fairly unpleasant memories for him. You might recall that a first-team player at that club notorious for his temper and not without convictions, stubbed out a cigar in the eye of Mr Tandy at the party.

"That man was a first-team regular at the time. The club effectively closed ranks around him, casting aside this young man who was not in the first team. He couldn't see very well for some weeks and consequently couldn't play.

"Very shortly after that incident, which was not only deeply unpleasant or him but attained a certain notoriety he didn't want, he was loaned off to Copenhagan and found himself alone and lonely with his career and ambitions at that club effectively shot to pieces through no fault of his own. He turned to drink."

Tandy pleaded guilty to all the charges against him at an earlier hearing and was spared jail as a judge deferred sentencing to give him four months to turn his life around.