- For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
Boxing champion Ricky Hatton was found hanged by his manager at home, an inquest has heard.
The star died at his £1.7million home in Hyde, Greater Manchester on September 14 at the age of just 46.
His body was found by his long-time manager and friend Paul Speak, who attended today’s brief hearing on behalf of Hatton’s family.
The hearing, which took less than five minutes, heard that Hatton was last seen alive by family members on September 12.
The court heard how he had ‘appeared well’ but that Hatton, who lived alone, then failed to attend an event he had been expected at the following day.
On the morning of September 14 Mr Speak arrived at the house to take Hatton to Manchester Airport for a flight, the coroner said.
But Hatton’s manager found him ‘unresponsive’ with a ‘ligature’ around his neck.
Mr Speak told Boxing News in the days after Hatton’s death that he thought Hatton had overslept when he could not raise him for the journey to the airport for a flight to Dubai, on the day his body was found.
He said: ‘The lights weren’t on, which I thought was strange. I thought he’d overslept, but it’s not unusual. People do oversleep. So, I went inside – I have a key – shouting, ‘Rick, Rick, wake up!” heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs. I took a look at him. I had to take some time to process.
‘I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance.’
Speak said in the interview that Hatton was ‘in a really good place’ before his death and had been preparing to take his daughters to see Oasis the following week, to go to Thailand for a boxing convention and for Christmas in Tenerife.
His main focus was a fight in Dubai in December against Abu Dhabi’s Eisa Al Dah.
The case was opened and adjourned until March 20 next year, by Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South.
His provisional cause of death was given as hanging.
‘I’m going to require the full police file in relation to their investigation and to obtain statements from other witnesses, including Mr Hatton’s GP,’ Ms Mutch added.
His full inquest has been scheduled for March 20 next year.
Stars such as Liam Gallagher, Wayne Rooney and Tyson Fury were among those in the congregation for a private memorial service at Manchester Cathedral.
Tributes were shared by the late boxer’s 24-year-old son Campbell, who followed his father into the boxing ring, as well as his daughters Fearne, 12, and Millie, 13.
Mr Speak has previously recalled the ‘shock and confusion’ of discovering Hatton when he let himself in before ‘hearing music coming from upstairs’.
‘I firmly believe he didn’t intend to do it… he had it all to live for,’ he told Boxing News magazine.
‘The lights weren’t on, which I thought was strange. I thought he’d overslept, but it’s not unusual. People do oversleep.
‘I heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs… I took a look at him… I had to take some time to process it.
‘I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance.
‘But I firmly believe he didn’t intend to do it. It’s for the coroner to determine, but he had it all to live for.’
Hatton had arranged to take his daughters Millie and Fearne to see Oasis play, and was planning a Christmas holiday to Tenerife and a boxing comeback.
The former world champion had revealed his suicidal thoughts and problems with addiction in the past but his family have said he was in a ‘good place’ before his death.
His final post on Instagram showed him keeping fit in the gym ahead of a highly-anticipated return to the ring in December.
The Mancunian also filmed an uplifting video in his final week for a child who was the victim of bullying.
He was due to board a flight to Dubai just a day after his passing to sign a contract confirming his comeback to boxing with a bout against Eisa Al Dah.
However alarms were raised after Hatton failed to show at a boxing event for one of his own fighters that Saturday, with Mr Speak finding his lifeless body the following morning.
Hatton’s manager said: ‘If this was 10 years ago, it wouldn’t have been as big a shock as it was.
‘I’ve been with Ricky to the very highest mountains in boxing to the lowest chasm in life.’
