Rugby star’s fatal ‘heart attack’ in Italian hotel room he shared with his girlfriend was ‘possibly drug-related’, inquest hears
- A British rugby league star is thought to have died of drug-related heart attack
- Ricky Bibey, 40, was found on the floor unresponsive on July 16 in Florence
- He had been in a hotel with his girlfriend, who was found with serious injuries
A British rugby league star who was found ‘unresponsive’ on the floor of his Italian hotel room is thought to have died of a drug-related heart attack, an inquest heard.
Ex-sportsman Ricky Bibey, 40, was discovered by Italian authorities in the early hours of July 16 at the Hotel Continentale in Florence.
He had travelled to Italy on July 15 with his girlfriend Jennie Platt, 43, Rochdale, Coroners Court was told yesterday.
She was found alongside him with and had to be taken to Careggi hospital to be treated for serious injuries, it was heard.
The court was told a post-mortem had not yet provided a medical cause of death, while the results of the post-mortem carried out in Italy have not yet been received.
The court heard Italian authorities notified Bibey’s father that he’d suffered ‘respiratory arrest’ which was ‘possibly drug-related’.
They previously said that Bibey, who was 6ft3 and 17 stone, had taken cocaine and alcohol which had combined to provoke his death.
Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident, the inquest heard.
Assistant coroner Matthew Cox adjourned the inquest and a full inquest into Bibey’s death will be held at a later date.
Rickey Bibey, 40. (pictured in 2009) was found dead in a Florence hotel room a stone’s throw away from Ponte del Vecchio on July 16
Bibey and Jennie Platt, 43, are pictured together in this holiday snap
CCTV footage shows Jennie walking back to her hotel room in Florence, Italy, in the early hours of July 16 closely followed by Ricky in a pink shirt and two friends
The court heard Italian authorities notified Bibey’s father that he’d suffered ‘respiratory arrest’ which was ‘possibly drug-related’
Bibey, a former prop, won Rugby League’s Challenge Cup twice in his career, first with Wigan Warriors in 2002 and then with arch rivals St Helens in 2004.
His career also saw him represent Wakefield Trinity in Super League, the sport’s top flight, and took in three stints at Leigh Centurions.
At the time of his death, he was living in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, and was self-employed, running a window cleaning business.
It was previously reported that he had died from heart attack in Italian hotel room after beating up his British girlfriend in a booze-fuelled rage.
Bibey, who stood at 6 ft 3in and weighed 17 stone, is believed to have subjected the woman to an assault after they returned to the £350-a-night four-star hotel.
Successful estate agent Jennie Platt was rushed to hospital where she needed three operations after she was reportedly viciously beaten up.
Prosecutors investigating the attack had to wait more than a week to talk to Jennie and get her account of her ordeal because of the extent of her injuries.
The mother-of-two, 44, suffered extensive injuries and could not speak to police for a week while she underwent medical treatment in an Italian hospital
Emergency services vehicles gathered outside the hotel on the morning of July 16 after the tragic death
Following his death, team mate an current Leigh Centurions player welfare manager Ste Maden said: ‘Ricky was a typical no-nonsense prop forward.
‘He was a fantastic player to play alongside and a great lad as well, the life and soul of the party.
‘Ricky feared no-one on a rugby pitch and always did the hard yards when you needed them and never shirked a challenge.
‘That’s what made him such a popular player with his team-mates because he had everyone’s back, and he left it all on the pitch.
‘He was a talented player, too, with a lot of football in him.’
Leigh Centurions owner Derek Beaumont said of Bibey: ‘Ricky was a big guy with a big heart.’
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