Boyzone prepare to take Stephen Gately's body home

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Boyzone star Stephen Gately's devastated bandmates were preparing today to fly to Majorca to take his body back to Ireland.

The singer4s funeral will be held in Dublin on Saturday afternoon and the rest of the band - Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch - will accompany his body home tomorrow from the Spanish island where he died.

The Irish singer was found dead on the sofa in his apartment in Port Andratx on the island last Saturday after a night out with partner Andrew Cowles.

His body was released by Spanish authorities on Tuesday after a post-mortem examination found that the 33-year-old died from natural causes.

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

The band members visited Gately's parents in inner-city Dublin on Tuesday to pay their respects and confirm his family's final wishes for Stephen.

When they return to Majorca they are only expected to remain on the island briefly and may not even leave Palma airport.

"The Boyz plan to return to Majorca on Friday to bring their brother back home to Dublin," the band said in a statement.

"Ronan, Keith, Mikey and Shane would once more like to thank everyone for the great many messages of condolence they have received from all over the world.

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

The Gately family will hold a private family Mass tomorrow night, followed by a funeral service at St Lawrence O'Toole Church at midday on Saturday.

A further memorial service is expected to be held in London, where Gately and his partner shared their home.

Gately had been in his apartment with Mr Cowles until after midnight on Friday, when he travelled to Palma, about an hour's drive away.

It is understood that Gately spent several hours socialising and was back in the apartment before 6am Spanish time.

His body was discovered on Saturday by Bulgarian Georgi Dochev, 25, who alerted Mr Cowles.

Gately's bandmates flew in on Sunday and comforted Mr Cowles during their one-night stay on the island.

Spanish police have previously said there were no signs of suspicious circumstances, but an investigation into the singer's death will continue as a formality.

His grieving family, who maintained that no drugs were involved in his death and they did not suspect suicide, are said to be happy there was no foul play.

But speculation has continued over what might have caused his death.

Police in Palma said they could not confirm or deny reports that traces of cannabis were found in Gately's urine.

And there has also been speculation that the West End star choked on his own vomit.

"The family's only wish is to get their son and brother home as soon as possible," said family solicitor Gerald Kean.

Mr Kean said Gately's grief-stricken parents, Margaret and Martin, were still trying to come terms with their son's sudden death.

He also reiterated the family's claim that Gately may have been suffering an underlying heart problem and that other relatives on his father's side also had heart trouble.

"The minute Stephen's mother heard the news she said 'I knew it'," the lawyer said.

"There was a problem on the father's side. There were one or two on the father's side of the family who died young."

 

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