Thaindian News

London, Oct 15 (IANS) Tragic Boyzone star Stephen Gately had smoked cannabis on the night he died during a holiday in the Spanish town of Majorca, say police officials.
Forensic experts have discovered evidence of the drug in the singer’s urine after he was found dead at his Majorca holiday flat on Oct 10, reports thesun.co.uk.

Gately’s gay partner Andy Cowles, 32, also admitted to detectives the star had been smoking the drug, said sources at the island’s Guardia Civil police division. Pals claimed the 33-year-old pin-up had previously used cannabis “to relax”.

The insider revealed: “Although we know Stephen smoked cannabis on the night he died, that was not the cause of his death.”

The revelation came as Gately’s family planned his funeral - expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners to his home city of Dublin on Saturday.

“An autopsy revealed Stephen had taken cannabis, and his partner and another man present on the night he died confirmed this in interviews. They said he did not take any other drugs - but toxicology tests are being carried out to confirm this,” said a Guardia Civil insider in Majorcan capital Palma.

Experts hope the tests will also determine whether the cannabis or other substances such as alcohol acted as triggers for the star’s death.

A forensic source quoted in Majorca’s Ultima Hora newspaper said: “The relationship between this drug consumption and the death of the singer will now have to be determined by new analyses.”

The post mortem carried on Tuesday ruled Stephen had suffered an acute pulmonary oedema - a rapid build-up of fluid in the lungs. Studies have indicated smoking cannabis can harm the lungs and regular use has been linked with chronic respiratory tract symptoms.

It can also quicken the heart rate - increasing the risk of sudden heart attacks.

Gately’s mother Margaret yesterday has said there was a family history of heart problems.