Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton was charged Friday with common assault and affray by Merseyside Police and will spend New Year's Eve in jail.
The 25-year-old Barton was one of three people arrested after an incident in downtown Liverpool in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Barton was remanded in custody until Thursday after he appeared in the Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Friday.
"I also have to consider the safety of the public -- you lashed out indiscriminately," magistrate Carol Myers said.
Barton attended court still wearing the same clothes he wore on Wednesday. He bowed his head to hide from the press and public gallery.
Prosecutor Jayne Hughes said Barton could be seen on closed circuit television cameras confronting a group of people on Church Street.
"The CCTV clearly shows Mr Barton involved in altercations with members of the public going about their business," Hughes said. "He was seen pacing around Church Street and lashing out indiscriminately at people walking around and standing around."
Barton's lawyer, Gwyn Lewis, said Barton was being "goaded" in the street and reacted after a female member of his group was attacked.
"Mr. Barton was involved in an incident of which he is in no way proud," Lewis said. "It is fair to say there was an enormous amount of provocation, although that is not a defense."
Barton missed Newcastle's game against Chelsea yesterday, and will not be available to face former club Manchester City on Wednesday.
The two others -- 19-year-old brother Andrew Barton and 27-year-old Nadine Wilson -- were released on bail.
Andrew Barton was charged with actual bodily harm and affray -- starting a brawl -- and Wilson was charged with common assault and affray.
Barton, who made his only England appearance in February, has a history of disciplinary problems.
In October last year, he was fined for dropping his shorts and exposing his backside to rival fans after an English Premier League game.
In July 2005, Barton was sent home from Manchester City's tour of Thailand and fined six weeks' wages after a bar fight with a teenage Everton fan.
In 2004, Barton started a brawl on the field during a preseason friendly against Doncaster. He was also fined six weeks' wages for putting a lit cigar into the eye of a young teammate, Jamie Tandy, at City's Christmas party.
Barton's family has also been in the news. In December 2005, Barton's 17-year-old brother, Michael, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for taking part in a racist attack in which two white men killed a black teenager with an axe.
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