Football bad boy Joey Barton has been sensationally benched by Marseille football club after an ill advised abortion left an underage cocker spaniel barren.
Details on this unsettling chain of events are sparse at the moment, but it is understood that French police officers discovered Barton performing the procedure in a dank alcove behind Marseille Cathedral late last night.
While Barton was led from the scene in handcuffs, paramedics rushed to the aid of the badly bloodied pup as it slipped into septic shock.
It is widely believed that the garden hose and bottle of gin Barton had been using in the act were not properly sterilized.
Though it is not yet known what prompted the abortion, Barton’s hatred for puppies and love for Morrissey have been well documented in the past.
The animal was taken to a nearby Veterinary Clinic where it remains in critical condition. Barton will appear before the French Football Federation’s ethics committee early next week.
More on this heart wrenching story as we have it.
Words: Keith Jordan
