Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has defended himself over a tweet he wrote about suicide being "selfish" in the wake of Wales soccer manager Gary Speed's death.
Barton was among a throng of soccer stars who took to Twitter to express shock and sympathy for the 42-year-old's family in the hours after he was found hanged Sunday.
But Barton, 29, also issued a tweet that angered fellow users of the micro-blogging site and left him swamped with complaints.
"Suicide is a mix of the most tragic, most selfish, most terrible (and I want to believe preventable) acts out there," he said.
"Just didn't seem at all fitting with his character but again, I am in no position to speak. I feel terrible for his kids, family and friends."
But Barton did not apologize for the remarks -- and suggested that those who were upset had not fully considered his views.
"If they read carefully or had half a brain, they'd understand," he said.
Criticism of Barton has come from the chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, Malcolm Clarke, who said Barton's actions were "insensitive and inappropriate" and the Welsh branch of Survivors Of Bereavement By Suicide.
The controversy came as an inquest heard Speed's body was found by his wife, Louise.
In a hearing that lasted just six minutes Tuesday, detective inspector Peter Lawless said police had been called just after 7:00am local time on Sunday.
When they arrived at the former Leeds, Newcastle and Bolton star's home in Chester, about 40 miles (64km) southwest of Manchester, they established that his wife Louise had found the body.
The inquest was opened and adjourned after a coroner confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the married father of two sons and that, following a post mortem examination, the provisional cause of death was hanging.
The inquest was formally adjourned until January 30 at the coroner's court in Warrington.
