Mystery of George Michael drink and drug test as coroner rules star died of natural causes… but toxicology report is kept secret
A CORONER who yesterday ruled George Michael died of natural causes refused to reveal if drink or drugs were in his body.
Darren Salter said the singer had died from heart and liver problems — but his short statement made no mention of the long-awaited results of toxicology tests.
DRINK OR BAD LUCK
By SHAUN WOOLLER
GEORGE Michael’s death could be down to years of boozing, an expert said last night.
Dr Aseem Malhotra, a consultant cardiologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, said: “The combination of dilated cardiomyopathy, myocarditis and fatty liver could be the result of long-term alcohol misuse or simply due to bad luck.
“It is less likely to be a result of drug misuse. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart, which prevents blood being pumped around the body properly.
“I suspect this is a longer-term issue he was suffering from and he has simply been pushed over the edge by the myocarditis. which is in an inflammation of the heart.
“It can be caused when it is attacked by a virus, such as a cold.”
His ruling means there will be no full inquest in which details might emerge.
George’s on-off boyfriend Fadi Fawaz sent a tweet aimed at fans who had quizzed him over the death, reading: “F*** YOU”.
The hairdresser added a photo of the couple with the words: “The truth is out”.
But last night Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted the ruling left questions unanswered.
He said: “This country has a tradition of open justice. Anything that hinders that could weaken the rule of law and may lead to corruption.”
George, 53, was found dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day.
The Freedom star had suffered health scares and fought drug addiction for years.
MOST READ IN NEWS
An initial post mortem was said to have been “inconclusive”.
His body will now be returned to his family for burial.
Mr Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, said in a statement George died of “dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver”.
QUESTIONS REMAIN
By STEPHEN MOYES
AN inquest could have answered key questions as basic as when did George die?
A tweet from Fadi’s account said he found the body “first thing” on Christmas morning.
Yet an ambulance was not called until the afternoon.
What was going on with between George and Fadi? Fadi chose to sleep in his car rather than inside his boyfriend’s mansion.
Was George back on the drugs? Within hours of the announcement of his death, rumours surfaced that he had become hooked on heroin.
He had a history of drug abuse and in 2008 was caught smoking crack cocaine in a public toilet.
His cousin’s wife Jackie Georgiou told of family concerns he was killing himself with a cocktail of crack, booze and weed.
He said because the death was not unexplained, there “is no need for an inquest or any further inquiries”.
He refused to answer questions about his findings, or to reveal if drink or drugs were in the star’s body.
In the aftermath of the death Fadi, 43, faced repeated questions about his movements, but there was no suggestion he was being treated by police as a suspect.
He refused to answer questions about seemingly conflicting tweets he wrote and claimed his account had been hacked.
Fadi spoke outside George’s London home in Regent’s Park and raised eyebrows by stating: “I feel wonderful.”
He added: “I am very happy, because first of all, the truth is out and I am not getting doubted any more from the world.
“And I am happy now he can rest, and we can rest as well. I can grieve.”