Overview
- The inquest at Rochdale Coroners' Court, which concluded Monday, recorded 'neck compression' as the medical cause of death from the July 16, 2022 Florence hotel discovery but returned an open verdict because it could not establish intent.
- Bibey's on‑off partner, Jennie Platt, told the court she suffered life‑changing injuries in a violent hotel incident and said she fought back; the coroner accepted her account and Florence detectives later took no further action against her.
- Forensic evidence was limited by an Italian post‑mortem that removed several organs, a circumstance Dr Charles Wilson said compromised the UK examination, while Italian toxicology found cocaine and alcohol in Bibey's system with the cocaine amount described as not high.
- Witnesses including Bibey's GP and Sporting Chance representatives outlined years of mental‑health decline and repeated drug and alcohol treatment after his retirement from professional rugby beginning in 2017.
- The case highlights how cross‑border post‑mortems and shifting criminal probes can leave families without clear answers and may complicate any future legal or procedural review of overseas deaths.