Ricky Bibey and his girlfriend were seen walking towards their hotel with a mystery couple, just hours before the ex-rugby league player died on Saturday.

Daily Mail found the CCTV footage from cameras close to the luxury hotel in Florence, Italy, where 40-year-old Bibey was found dead. Investigators are piecing together how he died in the swanky hotel room.

According to The Sun, a post-mortem is due to be carried out later this week following a delay over "family matters." It's believed that Bibey's brother is now in the central Italian city. Yahoo! Sport reported that police have revealed their suspicions that he might have died in a sex game game wrong.

His partner, 44, raised the alarm after running from their first floor room semi naked. She was covered in blood and was screaming for help.

The new video, which was taken just after 4.10 a.m., shows the woman, who is an upmarket estate agent from Manchester, walking down a side street close to the Hotel Continentale. The woman, wearing a sleeveless long dress and sandals, appears first in the footage. Then a second later Bibey is seen and a mystery couple. The woman looks slightly unsteady on her feet as she reaches into her handbag. She is followed by Bibey and the other couple.

Paramedics were called to the hotel less than three hours after the footage was taken. An autopsy confirmed that he died from a heart attack. Police are convinced that it was caused through a deadly combination of alcohol and drugs.

Meanwhile, the woman is still recovering in hospital after suffering severe injuries requiring several operations. Police are yet to question her formally and at length as she is still recovering. She might have been forced into some form of erotic game and then tried to fight off Bibey, investigators believe.

They think so as the postmortem revealed wounds on his wrists and necks. Tests were done at the Careggi hospital where the athlete's partner is being treated. They showed the woman had drugs in her body.

Prosecutor has opened a file for "manslaughter against persons unknown." No third party is being hunted though.

File photo of Ricky Bibey
Ricky Bibey of Wakefield is tackled by Andrew Bentley of Catalan defence during the Engage Super League match between Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Catalan Dragons at Belle Vue on May 27, 2007 in Wakefield, England. Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

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