Brit dad, 28, 'sent girlfriend worrying text before steroid death' in the Bahamas

A British dad sent his girlfriend a text message saying he needed to give up steroids shortly before they caused his death, an inquest heard.

Personal trainer Dannie Lea, from Stoke-on-Trent, was found dead on the lawn of a home in Nassau, in The Bahamas, on May 19 last year.

It was initially thought he had been murdered, but a postmortem found no signs of an attack, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.

The 28-year-old - who was working on the island - had sent messages to his girlfriend shortly before he died saying he had been having chest pains and needed to give up steroids.

He had been "agitated" on the day he died, according to a friend, and the inquest found he died after taking steroids and cocaine.

Police in the UK launched their own investigation into the death of dad-of-one Mr Lea, who was working on the island.

Detective Inspector Alan Lyford, from Staffordshire Police, said his team interviewed Mr Lea’s family and pal Michael Fitton - who he was staying with.

He said: “Prior to his death he sent a text message to his girlfriend saying he needed to stop taking steroids because they might give him a heart attack.

"He said he had been having pains and his heart had been hurting.

“Michael Fitton said he had been contacted by a neighbour on May 19, who said he had been informed by a maid at the property that Dannie had become agitated.

"That caused Mr Fitton to return home. Dannie was not there, but there was evidence that some Coca-Cola had been spilled.

"It looked like something had happened at the property.”

DI Lyford said he had not received much help from police in the Bahamas, telling the inquest: “I made attempts to liaise with the Royal Bahamas Police Force to get a report.

"I made enquiries as did my supervisors and the coroner’s officer but the only information we got was a copy of the post-mortem examination report.

“They told me verbally that they had no concerns around the circumstances of the death but I wasn’t able to get any kind of investigation report.”

The initial post-mortem report suggested Dannie’s heart was enlarged. No toxicology results were passed back to the police or Dannie’s family in the UK.

When his body was returned to the UK, a Home Office pathologist performed a further post-mortem and toxicological tests were undertaken.

There was no evidence that he had been attacked.

Steroids and cocaine were found in his system, and the cause of death was given as ‘sudden death in association with cocaine and anabolic steroid use’.

Area coroner Emma Serrano recorded that Mr Lea’s death was drug related.

She said: “We don’t have a lot of evidence about what happened in the lead up to Dannie Lea’s death.”

Speaking after the hearing, Dannie’s brother-in-law Jack Willis said: “Dannie was kind, caring and he really loved his family. He was a great dad and uncle.”

Mirror