Ousmane Dabo, the French midfielder beaten senseless by Barton when they were both at Manchester City, has accused Newcastle of lacking morals for not firing the serial miscreant.

Dabo was in court on Tuesday when Barton, a man he describes as a 'coward', admitted to assaulting him at City's training ground in May last year, reported The Guardian.

For that, Barton, who is already serving a six-month jail sentence for an assault outside a McDonald's in Liverpool on Dec27, received a four-month suspended sentence, as well as 200 hours of community service.

He was seen laughing and joking with friends and family in the gallery after the sentence was handed down.

He is almost eligible for parole, and the indications from Newcastle are that the club will give the midfielder another chance, a decision that has outraged Dabo and football fans.

'Newcastle lack ethics and morals,' said Dabo, who is now with Italian club Lazio and may pursue a civil case against Barton.

'They have invested a lot in this guy and they do not want to lose money.

'I almost lost an eye. He admits he struck me from behind and beat me when I was unconscious.

'He admits behaving in a cowardly way. It's not the first time he has been in trouble with the law either.

'But the club does not give a damn about the law and that truly shocks me.'

Newcastle, who pay Barton £65,000 a week (S$175,500), signed him from City last year for £5.8 million.

But some Geordie fans believe he must be sacked, despite reports that Newcastle are willing to give him another chance.

Season-ticket holder Jack Harrison, 29, told The Shields gazette: 'It's shocking how he's still being paid huge wages while he's behind bars.'

Barton's list of misdemeanours is long: from dropping his shorts on field, to stubbing a lit cigar into the eye of a former City reserve at a Christmas party and brawling in a Bangkok hotel with a 15-year-old Everton fan.

On Monday, the court heard that Dabo, 31, had pushed Barton's shoulder after a row between the pair simmered throughout the training session.

Barton retaliated by knocking Dabo unconscious and witnesses recalled the Englishman getting on top of the Frenchman and hitting him repeatedly.

'I almost lost an eye. But the club does not give a damn about the law.'

OUSMANE DABO, who was attacked by Joey Barton