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Shane Warne's death certificate and will signed in Melbourne in December 2021

Feb. 11, 2023
Shane Warne's death certificate and will signed in Melbourne in December 2021

Cricket legend Shane Warne made his will exactly three months before his shock death in Thailand at just 52.

The star spin bowler turned commentator and businessman sat down to sign the will dividing his $21million estate between his three children, Brooke, Jackson and Summer on December 3, 2021. 

The children would receive 31 per cent each, while the remaining seven per cent was to be divided between his brother, Jason, who was given two per cent, and his niece Tyla and nephew Sebastian with two-and-a-half per cent each. 

Jackson was also bequeathed his father's car collection, which included a Mercedes, a Yamaha motorbike, and a BMW. 

And just three months later, on March 4th, 2022, he would die in Thailand, prompting an outpouring of grief across Australia and the cricket-playing world.  

Warne's death certificate, published by Daily Mail Australia for the first time, shows his place of death as Thailand, gives his occupation is a 'business owner', and the cause of death is declared 'coronary artery atherosclerosis'.

Atherosclerosis is the build up of plaque within the heart causing the narrowing or complete blockages of arteries, which can result in a heart attack.

One of the symptoms is chest pain, which Warne had experienced during the summer before he left for Thailand. 

Thai authorities revealed Warne's death to be from 'a suspected heart attack from natural causes'.

Warne had been at the start of three-month sabbatical when he died. He had wanted a year off. 

The superstar had been seeing a cardiologist in Melbourne for chest pain some time.  

When he signed his will, Warne was continuing his spot as the most popular cricket pundit in Australia, commentating on the Ashes, One Day international series and the Big Bash for Fox Sports. 

On the day he signed his will, Warne tweeted a picture of him in green tracksuit promoting a Big Bash League 'super coach' game with two children, showing just how busy his schedule was. 

The will and death certificate were released this week by the Victorian Supreme Court . 

Five days later, on December 8th, he was covering the Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.

After weeks of commentating, Warne posted on Twitter ahead of the Melbourne Boxing Day test: 'Merry Christmas ! Hope everyone had a great day with family and loved ones. BD test tmrw & I have a feeling it's going to be a ripping five days too. Bring it on!'

Then following a summer of sport, commentating and the release of his Amazon Prime video documentary, 'Shane', the cricket star was ready for some time off.

As his manager James Erskine later noted, Warne embarked on a 'ridiculous' fluid-only diet

 'He did go on these ridiculous sorts of diets, and he was just finished with one'.

On February 28, Warne tweeted an old picture of him looking toned, writing 'Operation shred has started (10 days in) and the goal by July is to get back to this shape from a few years ago ! Let's go'.

Three days later, Warne flew to Koh Samui in Thailand, which Erskine said was to be the start of a three-month sabbatical after a busy summer in Australia commentating on the cricket.

Warne checked into the Samujana Villas with his three-man entourage, professional poker-player turned online gambling guru, Gareth Edwards, cryptocurrency financier Fred Witherow, and Warne's manager and documentary producer, Andrew Neophitou, also an executor on his recent will.

The disease that killed Shane Warne at the age of 52, coronary artery atherosclerosis, is caused by plaque build-up in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

It is caused over time by cholesterol deposits which narrow and eventually block the arteries if untreated.

Symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain and eventually a heart attack.

The disease is treatable by the insertion of stents or by a partial or full coronary bypass.

The same condition can also result in a stroke or loss of mobility of the limbs. 

Risk factors for the condition are smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, a lack of exercise, and being overweight or obese. 

Edwards is also listed as chief marketing officer of the stunning hillside resort where the men were staying.

The men joined up on the evening of Thursday, March 3 with gambling executive, The Sporting News CEO Tom Hall, who later remembered Shane Warne's final meal on his last day alive, a plate of Vegemite and toast.

The pair tucked into a plate together, Hall recalled: 'Shane chomping away saying 'Geez, you can't beat Vegemite with some butter, always great wherever you are in the world', an Australian through and through'.

On his last day alive, Warne visited his tailor, ordering 10 pairs of trousers, many ties, shirts and a blue suit.

Parsuram Panday was pleasantly surprised when repeat customer Warne arrived at Brioni Tailors unannounced about 1pm, his 'infectious laugh' ringing out through the Koh Samui store. 

At 1.05pm on the same day, Warne texted a onetime girlfriend Emily Scott a photo of the island from the villa. 

Later that afternoon, Warne enjoyed a massage in his room, and was planning to meet-up with the boys for a drink.

'They were going to have a drink at 5 and Neo (Neophitou) knocked on his door at 5:15 because Warnie was always on time,' James Erskine would recall. 

'What happened was he went in there and said 'come on you are going to be late' and then realised that something was wrong,' he said. 

 'He turned him over and gave him CPR. That lasted about 20 minutes then obviously the ambulance came. 

'They took him to the hospital, which was about a 20 minute drive. I got a phone call about 45 minutes later saying that he had been pronounced dead.'

Bo Phut police station superintendent Yuttana Sirisombat issued a statement that Warne had been suffering chest pains before arriving in Thailand and 'also had asthma and had seen a doctor about his heart'.  

An autopsy at the Surat Thani Hospital in Thailand found Warne had died of a suspected heart attack.

Warne's body was flown back to Australia on March 10, and Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria issued his death certificate on March 25.

An application for probate on Shane Warne's will was filed in the Victorian Supreme court in December.

His wealth was derived from a $6.5 million home in Portsea, Victoria, and $5 million in his Australian bank account. He had $500,000 in cash in another account, and $3million in shares. He also had about $2 million worth of other possessions.

Warne had just $295,000 in liabilities.


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