Tragic Boyzone star smoked cannabis on night of death

Published on Wednesday 14 October 2009 22:19

TRAGIC Boyzone pin-up Stephen Gately is reported to have taken drugs on the night he died – as it emerged the star's body will be flown back from Majorca on Friday.

Local media reports said traces of cannabis were found in the singer's urine, while his partner Andrew Cowles is said to have told police that the star had been smoking the drug.

Reports in a leading daily newspaper in Majorca, where Gately was found dead in his apartment on Saturday after a night out clubbing, said blood samples sent for tests in Barcelona were expected to determine how much cannabis and alcohol the 33-year-old had consumed.

It emerged on Tuesday that a post-mortem examination found that Gately had died from natural causes.

He suffered a pulmonary oedema, an accumulation of fluid on the lungs. Further tests are being carried out on the fluid to confirm the result.

Meanwhile, Gately's grieving bandmates – Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – confirmed his funeral will be held on Saturday afternoon, after a private service in Dublin on Friday night.

There are also plans for a memorial service in London, where Gately lived with Mr Cowles.

A statement on the band's website said: "Ronan, Keith, Mikey and Shane would once more like to thank everyone for the great many messages of condolence.

"Seeing the love that so many people have felt for Stephen has been a true comfort for them over the past few days."

Gately's body was discovered on Saturday by Bulgarian Georgi Dochev, 25, who had accompanied the pair back to the apartment in Port Andratx after partying at a nightclub in Palma.

Spanish police have previously said there were no signs of suspicious circumstances, but an investigation into the singer's death will continue until the final tests results are confirmed.

Officials investigating the case expect to receive the laboratory report within the next fortnight.

Gerald Kean, a spokesman for Gately's family in Ireland, said: "The family are pleased that the post-mortem has been completed. They are pleased that the results vindicate exactly what they said all along, that Stephen died as a result of natural causes.

"They would like to thank the authorities in Spain and Ireland for doing everything in their power to complete formalities as quickly as possible."