Sylvain Distin, the Portsmouth and former Manchester City defender, has been ordered to attend court to explain his failure to appear at Joey Barton's trial to give evidence.

The Times says the player twice did not respond to a court summons to act as a witness and an investigating officer told the court that when he warned him to attend court, or face arrest, Distin laughed and said: "You can lock me up for ten years, I'm not coming back off my holiday."