An inquest into the death of British boxing legend Ricky Hatton will open on Thursday morning, just over a month after his passing at the age of 46. The former world champion was discovered deceased at his residence in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on September 14, sending shockwaves throughout the sporting community.
His funeral then took place this Friday, with thousands of mourners gathering along Manchester’s streets and numerous celebrities attending the service at the city’s cathedral. A month following the tragedy, limited information is available regarding what occurred to Hatton, with his cause of death remaining undisclosed to the public.
Nevertheless, further details surrounding his death will now emerge on Thursday, after police – who do not suspect any criminal activity – passed the matter on to the coroner. The inquest opening is formally scheduled to occur at South Manchester Coroners’ Court in Stockport at 9am on Thursday, and will be conducted before the area’s senior coroner Alison Mutch.
Inquests are initiated by coroners when there exists reasonable grounds to believe that a death has resulted from circumstances other than natural causes. Although there is no exact legal definition of a ‘natural’ cause of death, it is generally characterised as “death due to a disease running its full course with no other intervening factors.”
An inquest opening is a brief administrative hearing where the coroner formally begins the investigation into the death. Then, the coroner will verify the identity of the deceased, along with the medical cause of death if established, while the basic circumstances surrounding the death may also be outlined.
The coroner will then decide whether a full inquest is required and postpone the hearing to a later date for a review or final hearing. A timetable is then set for the subsequent phases of the investigation – including gathering witness statements and reports – as well as scheduling any necessary future hearings.
Hatton was candid about his battles with his mental health, with his 13-year-old daughter Millie’s devastating eulogy at his funeral seeing her plead with him: “Why didn’t you reach out?” Speaking to the congregation inside Manchester Cathedral during the service, she said: “I can’t help but think about how you will never walk me down the aisle, how you will never meet my children and your grandchildren, how you won’t be here to see me leave school or even see me grow into an adult.
“Why did you feel that way? Why didn’t you reach out about how you felt? I genuinely hope you don’t ever think you have let me down, because I would never think that. I love and miss you unconditionally.”
Paul Speak, Hatton’s friend and long-standing manager, was the one who discovered the 46-year-old’s body at his Manchester residence when he arrived to escort him to the airport. Initially believing that the former boxing champion had merely overslept, it wasn’t until he ventured upstairs that he uncovered the tragic truth.
“The lights weren’t on, which I thought was strange,” he told Boxing News: “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’! 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,” he added. “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.
“He’d arranged to take his daughters to see Oasis next week. He was planning to go to Thailand for the WBC convention and a holiday after his fight. He’d just booked a flight to Tenerife for Christmas. I want to get the truth out, otherwise people will just speculate.”