A post-mortem examination on the Boyzone star’s body found the 33-year-old singer’s death last Saturday (10.10.09) was due to a pulmonary oedema – an accumulation of fluid on the lungs – a local official revealed outside a court in Palma, Majorca.
The results of in-depth toxicology tests carried out on the singer’s body have not yet been finalised, but because there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Stephen’s death, his parents and partner Andy Cowles – who Stephen wed in a civil ceremony in March 2006 – can now make arrangements to have his body returned to the UK. Stephen’s corpse was discovered on the sofa of his holiday home on the Spanish island on Saturday following a night out with Andy. The post-mortem verdict ruled out alcohol consumption as a factor in his passing.
His bandmates – Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – flew out to Majorca upon hearing the news but have now returned to the UK.
A spokesperson for the band said: “All the boys are home now. They went there to pay their respects and start dealing with the fallout of the situation.
“However, it's clear that them being there at the moment is bringing a lot more attention to the situation.”