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Fluid on lungs caused Gately’s death
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 14 October 2009
Boyzone singer Stephen Gately died from a pulmonary oedema, or fluid on the lungs, a post-mortem has found, though the exact circumstances which led to his death are still unknown.
An official from the Majorcan Court Of Instruction announced the findings in a statement yesterday, saying: “Preliminary results of the autopsy found acute pulmonary oedema indicating Stephen Gately died of natural causes. The autopsy carried out this morning did not reveal any signs of violence on the body. There is nothing to indicate the death was caused by alcohol or drugs”.
As previously reported, the singer’s body was found on Saturday in an apartment on Majorca where he was staying with his partner Andrew Cowles while on holiday. He was discovered in his pyjamas in what investigators have described as a “strange position”, almost “prayer like”. There has been speculation in the press that Gately had choked on vomit in his sleep after a night of heavy drinking.
Gately’s lawyer, Gerald Kean, said that Cowles was “satisfied” with the verdict, adding: “There has never been any doubt that Stephen was out and had a few drinks. The suggestion of an eight or nine hour binge drinking session was wrong and inappropriate. There is no foul play. There is no mention of drugs, it’s natural causes”.
After a brief hearing, a judge released the singer’s body to be transported back to Ireland for burial. However, the case remains open while the court awaits results of laboratory tests being carried out in Barcelona before finally ruling on the cause of death.
