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| Footballer dies from toxic drugs as Gold Coast police pledge crackdown | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police in the Gold Coast have vowed to crackdown on drug dealing after a Victorian country footballer died almost a week after consuming a toxic cocktail of drugs during an end-of-season trip to the city. | |
| Riki Stephens, 27, was among more than 20 people who needed medical treatment, with most admitted to hospital after taking a batch of drugs being peddled across the Gold Coast last weekend. | Riki Stephens, 27, was among more than 20 people who needed medical treatment, with most admitted to hospital after taking a batch of drugs being peddled across the Gold Coast last weekend. |
| Many exhibited dangerous and erratic behaviour, and in some cases hallucinations, but Stephens, who played full forward for Heathcote in central Victoria, had the most severe reaction and was left in a coma in intensive care. | Many exhibited dangerous and erratic behaviour, and in some cases hallucinations, but Stephens, who played full forward for Heathcote in central Victoria, had the most severe reaction and was left in a coma in intensive care. |
| His family switched off his life support on Thursday after doctors said there was no prospect that he would recover. He remained alive until Friday morning. | His family switched off his life support on Thursday after doctors said there was no prospect that he would recover. He remained alive until Friday morning. |
| “This is a waste of human life and he was a promising young man that had his future ahead of him,” Superintendent Michelle Stenner said. | |
| Two men have been charged with supplying dangerous drugs, and Stenner said they related directly to Stephens’ case. Investigations were ongoing but police refused to say whether charges would be upgraded on Friday. | |
| Police promised to get tough on drug dealers at this weekend’s Gold Coast 600 and next month’s schoolies celebrations.“We will find you, we will catch you and we will prosecute you,” Stenner said.“If you are a drug dealer on the Gold Coast, don’t do it. Don’t think that you can play with people’s lives the way that you have been and go unnoticed.” | |
| Heathcote football club president Andrew Conforti on Friday paid tribute to the popular player as his teammates took to social media to honour their friend. | Heathcote football club president Andrew Conforti on Friday paid tribute to the popular player as his teammates took to social media to honour their friend. |
| “We were lucky enough to have Riki for 12 months ... he got out there and was a star,” Conforti told AAP. “There’s a lot of people hurting – he was an easy person to love.” | “We were lucky enough to have Riki for 12 months ... he got out there and was a star,” Conforti told AAP. “There’s a lot of people hurting – he was an easy person to love.” |
| Football mate Joel Osbrough said he was stunned by his friend’s death. | Football mate Joel Osbrough said he was stunned by his friend’s death. |
| “Words can’t describe the shock we are all feeling after the loss of this absolute legend. You were a fierce competitor on the field and the one we all couldn’t wait to have a beer with off the field,” he wrote on Facebook. | “Words can’t describe the shock we are all feeling after the loss of this absolute legend. You were a fierce competitor on the field and the one we all couldn’t wait to have a beer with off the field,” he wrote on Facebook. |
| Dylan McCutcheon posted: “To my full-forward, to my idol, to my mate. I hope you are at peace, I hope you are still kicking goals ... I love you today, I’ll love you tomorrow, I’ll love you forever.” | Dylan McCutcheon posted: “To my full-forward, to my idol, to my mate. I hope you are at peace, I hope you are still kicking goals ... I love you today, I’ll love you tomorrow, I’ll love you forever.” |
| Others wrestled with the pain the footballer’s family must be suffering. | Others wrestled with the pain the footballer’s family must be suffering. |
| “You could put a smile on anyone’s face. My heart breaks for your family and close friends, a pain that I could never imagine. Rest easy Riki Stephens,” Abbi Weatherald posted. | “You could put a smile on anyone’s face. My heart breaks for your family and close friends, a pain that I could never imagine. Rest easy Riki Stephens,” Abbi Weatherald posted. |
| Stephens and his Heathcote Saints teammates were on the Gold Coast when he ingested a drug at a pub last weekend. | Stephens and his Heathcote Saints teammates were on the Gold Coast when he ingested a drug at a pub last weekend. |
| Toxicology tests ruled out the drug flakka, dubbed the zombie drug for its effects on users. | Toxicology tests ruled out the drug flakka, dubbed the zombie drug for its effects on users. |
| Police say it was a cocktail of “amphetamine-type substances”, including MDMA and a synthetic version of LSD also known as an N-Bomb. | Police say it was a cocktail of “amphetamine-type substances”, including MDMA and a synthetic version of LSD also known as an N-Bomb. |
| The two men charged over supplying the drugs are due to face the Southport magistrates court next month. | The two men charged over supplying the drugs are due to face the Southport magistrates court next month. |