Man arrested and charged after polo star’s death
A Christchurch man has pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the death of a rising United States polo star who died after being found unresponsive in Christchurch spa pool.
Lauren Mikaila Biddle, 22, had been in New Zealand 10 days before she died in the seaside suburb of Clifton about 1am on October 22.
Engineer Joe McGirr, 37, was arrested yesterday and charged with two counts of supplying a class B drug, impeding rescue, perverting the course of justice, and cultivating cannabis.
Stuff revealed Biddle visited the five-bedroom home in Spinnaker Ln, owned by McGirr, to have a spa with some friends.
It is understood some of the group drank alcohol and used drugs.
It is unclear when and where Biddle died. By the time an ambulance arrived, a friend was trying to resuscitate her in nearby Clifton Tce. McGirr pleaded not guilty to all five charges when he appeared in the Christchurch District Court.
McGirr is expected to appear in court again on March 27.
Biddle’s father, Tommy Biddle, said yesterday it had been a ‘‘tough’’ festive season for the family but they were ‘‘trying to keep moving forward’’.
‘‘I am just hoping that eventually we could get close to what really happened that night.’’
Police had kept the family informed, he said.
He earlier said a preliminary report showed his daughter had suffered ‘‘no physical trauma’’ when one of her friends found her unresponsive in the spa.
‘‘There [are] so many questions and really I think there’s going to be questions for a long time,’’ Biddle said.
‘‘The only thing I can say right now is from what I understood at least whatever happened was peaceful.’’
He had not heard of McGirr until after his daughter’s death and had not spoken to him. Following her death, Biddle spoke to several of his daughter’s friends who said she was not into drugs.
McGirr is the director of JDM Consulting, which specialises in structural engineering design.
He appears to have deleted his Facebook page and taken down his company’s website.