On Saturday, October 13, a tragic accident occurred in the French Alps. A hunter accidentally mistook British cyclist Marc Sutton for an animal and shot him dead near the Les Gets Alpine ski resort as he was riding his bike through the woods. He left behind a grieving girlfriend of nine years, Jo Watts, who took to social media soon after his demise to write:
"I'm shattered by his death, his life taken so violently by a hunter while he innocently rode his bike on a popular track."
However, in a bizarre twist, Sutton's own mother has since come forward to claim that she is glad that her son is dead, and has branded him a "monster" who "deserved to die." Not only this, but another woman who claims to have been raped by Sutton a number of years ago, has also stated that she is glad that Sutton is dead.
On Facebook, Katrina Sutton wrote:
"I hope you rot in hell Marc Thomas Sutton. My only disappointment is you died instantly. For any horrified people reading this, I'm not some vicious troll. I'm the woman who gave birth to him. This man was a monster. A bullet aimed at an animal. You aimed well. Karma called on you."
Katrina alleges that her son had a history of bad behaviour, attempting to stab a classmate with a dinner knife at the age of eleven. before going into care shortly afterwards. He also harboured a criminal record; having served six months in prison for assaulting a former girlfriend, shattering her cheekbone and damaging her eye socket.
Meanwhile, his sister told British newspaper The Sun:
"He was a rapist c*** and I'm glad he's dead. When I heard he had been killed I felt utter relief, it was a massive burden off my back. I was just relieved he couldn't hurt us or anyone again. He deserved to be shot like an animal — he was the biggest animal there was. They hunted the right animal."
A former girlfriend also stated:
"I want the killer to get off because he did us a favour. It was karma and I knew it would get him one day ... He kicked me, put hands around my neck, held screwdrivers and knives to my neck and threatened to kill me. He punched me and pushed me down the stairs, and jammed my foot in the car door"
However, the bicyclist's father John Sutton insists that the above allegations are mere libellous defamation, stating:
"I have been to police and made a report that these allegations are all lies, completely false, and it's harassment. This is all about a family feud, it's bitterness and jealousy, and attention-seeking. I'm devastated they would try to blacken my son's name now that he's dead. It's hard enough to come to terms with how he died. I hope legal action will stop them from causing any more damage."
Prosecutors in Thonon, where the shooting took place, have opened an inquiry into the incident, and the 22-year-old hunter responsible for Sutton's death was taken to hospital suffering from shock and is being investigated on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter.