A Lancashire ex-heavyweight boxer died from a heart condition he didn't know he had, a coroner ruled. Robert Andrew Beech, 43, was found dead at his home in Cinnamon Brow, Skelmersdale, on April 11 this year after friends raised the alarm.
The former bodybuilder had suffered a heart attack on the sofa after settling down to watch boxing, an inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard. Coroner Bissett said Robert had a background of steroid use to develop muscle as part of his fitness programme, which can cause enlarged muscle tissue in the heart chambers and lead to impaired blood circulation.
Career and final hours
Robert had achieved success in MMA, cage fighting and kickboxing, the inquest was told. He had recently launched a haulage contracting venture with a friend and belonged to an extensive circle of friends.
On April 11, his friends became concerned when they couldn't reach him for 24 hours. They contacted his on-off girlfriend, who told them where to find a key, but his front door was secured from the inside. Police broke in and found Robert on the settee, apparently having passed away peacefully during his sleep.
Medical findings
In the days before his death, Robert had taken a tumble and struck his head and had been sick. A post-mortem examination revealed he had experienced a heart attack. A CT scan showed an enlarged pumping chamber (ventricle) and narrowed arteries in his heart. He had also consumed ketamine at non-fatal levels, which would have placed additional strain on his heart.
"I don't imagine he knew his heart had that level of damage," Coroner Bissett said. "There is no evidence of any heart related symptoms. His conditions were likely to be things that wouldn't have been tested for as they would have been unexpected in a man of his age. Unfortunately they will have been the side effects of anabolic steroids which I have no doubt he made a decision to take on a cost risk basis."
"This is not a 'drugs death' - the ketamine was not a fatal dose. What happened was that it combined with the heart damage he didn't know he had." She recorded a conclusion of misadventure, with the cause of death attributed to coronary heart disease combined with ketamine toxicity and anabolic steroid use.
Tributes
Robert's ex-wife Samantha described him as a dedicated individual who cherished time with their son, regularly taking him to football and boxing. She recalled him as 'a protector who would always help anyone'.
His former boxing club, Hook and Jab, posted a tribute on social media, writing: "Rob was an absolute character, we had so many road trips, valued in-depth conversations, putting our spin on life. He never mixed his words, trained hard and gave everything in that ring. A pleasure to have had as part of our team. RIP champ."
