Shane ‘Kiwi’ Martin, 54, was found dead face down on his bedroom floor in Mt Maunganui, 200km south-east of Auckland, in December. The Richmond hero’s dad’s official cause of death has remained a mystery for months pending an autopsy and two detailed toxicology reports. Daily Mail Australia has obtained a copy of the coroner’s findings, which reveal his final moments and the cocktail of prescription drugs discovered nearby. He was found to have died of heart disease but was a steroid user who also took anti-depressants after being kicked out of Australia and kept away from his son. AFL superstar Dustin Martin’s cyclist father Shane Martin dies alone of heart attack while taking animal steroids Shane ‘Kiwi’ Martin, 54, was found dead face down on the bedroom floor of his home in Mt Maunganui, 200km south-east of Auckland, New Zealand, last December. Martin was a senior member of the Rebels bikie gang in Sydney but was deported to New Zealand in 2016 on grounds of “bad character”, despite living most of his adult life in Australia. He was heartbroken to be cut off from his son Dustin, 31, who was unable to visit him in New Zealand at the time of his death due to Covid travel restrictions. An initial toxicology blood test in March found traces of the antidepressant drug Amitriptyline that were “consistent with normal use,” the medical examiner’s report said. He also found traces of another antidepressant Nortriptyline, as well as caffeine and theobromine, but no signs of alcohol or cannabis-related substances. However, two months later, a second toxicology report ordered for further tests on a urine sample revealed Martin’s steroid use. “There was evidence in the urine of the use of the steroids trenbolone and nandrolone,” the medical examiner’s report said. “Trenbolone is used in animals to promote muscle growth and appetite. Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid.’ The coroner said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. An autopsy found clear evidence that heart disease was blocking his arteries and swelling his heart to twice its normal size, causing the fatal heart attack. The autopsy revealed that he had “coronary atherosclerotic obstructive disease and anterior interventricular septal fibrosis” of his heart, which weighed 600 grams, compared to the average healthy male of 280-312 grams. Shane Martin died of heart disease and was a steroid user who also took medication for depression after being kicked out of Australia and kept away from his son Friend Scott Williams arrived at Shane Martin’s home at 1.30pm. and found his lifeless body He also suffered from painful Crohn’s disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel condition, and was taking azathioprine to treat it, which was found in his kitchen along with his antidepressant medication. On the day of his death, Martin is said to have complained of a terrible headache to a female friend while having a cup of tea with her at around 9.30am. He said he had taken painkillers and his friend made him a coffee and breakfast before dropping him off, just as another friend arrived to take him shopping. The friend returned Martin to his home around noon, which was the last time he was seen alive. Another friend, Scott Williams, arrived around 1.30pm. to find Martin’s body in the bedroom. Shane Martin (centre) also suffered from painful Crohn’s disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel condition, and was taking azathioprine to treat it along with his anti-depressants Martin was a senior member of the Rebels bikie gang in Sydney but was deported back to New Zealand in 2016 on “bad character” grounds, despite living most of his adult life in Australia. “Mr Williams called the emergency services and while waiting for an ambulance started CPR,” New Zealand Coroner Bruce Hesketh’s report said. “The ambulance crew arrived a short time later and began resuscitation efforts which continued for 40 minutes. However, Mr Martin could not be revived. “The death certificate was signed by the crew of St John Ambulance. The official identification was signed by Mr Williams, who had known the deceased for six years.’ The coroner ruled out a full inquest as he said he and police were satisfied there were “no suspicious or untoward circumstances surrounding this death”. His death came just weeks after he was accused of punching and strangling a model while calling her a “sl**” and “w*e” in a steroid-induced rage. Shane Martin was facing charges of violently assaulting a woman, 49, (pictured) in her bedroom at the time of his death Martin was arrested last October after he allegedly punched the woman in the face, threw her around her bedroom and strangled her as he found her. Detectives later raided his country home and found empty vials of steroids – which he admitted using in a bid to improve his performance in the gym. He pleaded not guilty to charges of male assaults on women, strangulation and burglary in the Tauranga District Court in November. Martin also denied taking the steroids illegally. According to court documents, Martin had been in an “on and off relationship” with the woman since 2020 when he used a spare key to enter her Mt Maunganui home at 2am on October 23. The mother, 49, who Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name, lived alone and had been out socializing with friends when she returned home to find Martin in her bed. Martin ignored her request to leave and proceeded to accuse her of ‘feeding around’, ‘whining’ and calling her a ‘sl’. He then allegedly threw her around the bedroom, punched her in the face and cut her lip, bit her finger and grabbed her around the neck – “tightening, but not enough to knock her unconscious,” they said court documents. Martin admitted he let himself into her home using a key hidden outside and had a “heated argument” when he got home. But he insisted he would never harm her. Martin, who ran a trucking business in New Zealand, died a month after facing court on the charges. Shane Martin’s heartbroken son Dustin Martin (pictured) last saw his father in April 2021 due to Covid restrictions The body of former Rebels boss Shane Martin (pictured in Auckland with Australian actress Rachel Griffiths) was found in his bedroom a week before Christmas. Triple Norm Smith Olympian Dustin Martin has been unable to fly to New Zealand to see his father from April 2021 due to Covid restrictions. “It’s been a huge challenge, but it is what it is,” Dustin said in March 2021 before allegations of domestic violence against his father became public. “I love my dad and he made me the man I am today.” Shane’s latest attempt to return to Australia ended in disappointment when he was detained at Sydney Airport by the Australian Border Force in February 2020 before being sent home again. “I care that you can’t keep in touch with people who were a big part of your life,” she said. “I met some really nice people with respect, I don’t regret it. It kind of bothers me how people look down on bikes or clubs. They have morals, respect and loyalty. “They respect what I’m fighting for and vice versa.” He had to watch his son win the Richmond Tigers’ 2019 and 2020 grand final victories on TV from New Zealand after an attempt to fly failed. “It’s very difficult to see it on TV when I should be there, really, but that’s another story,” he said in 2020. “It’s still a proud moment, but I would have loved to have been there, but yeah, you know, it is what it is, you don’t want to take the moment away from it.”
