Stephen Gately's body 'found by friend'

Oct 13, 2009, 9:02 GMT

Stephen Gately's friend says he "cannot sleep" since finding the singer's body.

Georgi Dochev had returned to the holiday apartment shared by the Boyzone star and his partner Andy Cowles - who he wed in a civil ceremony in March 2006 - after meeting the couple in a gay club in Majorca on Friday (09.10.09). He discovered the 33-year-old singer in a "crouched, prayer position" the following morning.

The 25-year-old Bulgarian said: "I was the one who found him. I am devastated. I came from the bedroom and found him dead and I woke his partner. He was white and very cold.

"I was the one who called the ambulance because Andy was too upset. He was holding Stephen.

"It's awful, I am in shock and I cannot sleep for days. It is really upsetting. I have only known him for a while. I have talked to the police but I cannot speak of other things. I just wish I could have saved him."

Andy has been left devastated by the tragedy and was being comforted by Stephen's bandmates - Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy - yesterday (12.10.09).

The group were quick to console Andy during the meeting at a hotel close to the couple's apartment in Port Andratx but are still in a state of shock themselves.

A source said: "Andy is in a deep state of shock."

Boyzone issued a statement about the tragedy on Sunday (11.10.09) but have been too distressed to speak since then.

The source added: "Ronan and the boys are too sad to make any decisions.

"This may be the end of the group. Or they might finish the album and dedicate it to Stephen's memory. He lived for Boyzone."

Police believe Stephen died after choking on his own vomit, but Andy - who had originally planned a quiet night in with the star - insists they hadn't been drinking heavily.

He said: "We have had wilder nights out in Dublin and this was nothing out of the ordinary. I just don't understand it. What hurts most is that he was only yards from me in the room next door and I didn't even know he was slipping away. If only I had gone in to check him."

A post mortem is due to take place on the star's body today (13.10.09).