Coroners Court findings reveal tragic end of Darren ‘Razzle’ Thornburgh

Boutique nightclub tycoon Darren “Razzle” Thornburgh led a life surrounded by A-list celebrities and Melbourne’s elite, but his final days were plagued by stress and drug abuse.

Darren Thornburgh was found dead on the porch of his property at Barmah.

Nightclub tycoon Darren Thornburgh led a large and colourful life, surrounded by A-list celebrities and members of Melbourne’s elite.

But new findings about his death reveal the lonely, tragic end of the man known as “Razzle”.

Documents released by the Coroners Court reveal the Boutique nightclub owner lay dead on the porch of his property at Barmah, on the New South Wales-Victoria border, for about 36 hours before he was discovered the afternoon of November 13, 2017.

The grisly find was made by a police officer who was chasing up Mr Thornburgh over speeding allegations.

Toxicology reports show the 54-year-old had drugs including cocaine, diazepam, quinine and ranitidine in his system.

A sawn-off shotgun was found near Mr Thornburgh’s body.

Mr Thornburgh with Paris and Nicky Hilton in 2003

Mr Thornburgh with his wife Denise (left), Molly Meldrum and Millie Minogue. Picture: Marshall Dwyer

The father of two was a heavy drug user and was under enormous stress at the time of his death.

Mr Thornburgh had racked up a $1m drug debt and enforcers had shot up his Prahran nightclub and ex-wife’s Port Melbourne home.

The socialite suffered from anxiety and panic attacks but refused to see a psychiatrist, according to court documents.

His doctor reported he was in “good spirits” during his final appointment weeks prior to taking his own life.

Mr Thornburgh’s daughters, Zoe and Mia, held fond childhood memories of their father but said he appeared “tired and sluggish” in the final year of his life.

Mia described her father as “manic angry” during their final conversation days before his death.

The police inquiry found Mr Thornburgh was seen at the Barmah Hotel on the evening of November 11.

He later streamed some music from the internet into his mobile phone with the last song downloaded at 2.30am.

Mr Thornburgh’s Boutique nightclub in Prahran. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Mr Thornburgh with his daughters, Zoe and Mia. Picture: Facebook

The official finding finally lays to rest talk of foul play being a factor in Mr Thornburgh’s death.

There were murmurings in entertainment circles after he died that there was more to what had happened.

“The investigation revealed Mr Thornburgh was subject to a number of personal stressors at the time of his death,” the finding of Coroner Michelle Hodgson said.

“Victoria Police did not identify any evidence of involvement of other persons in Mr Thornburgh’s death. I accept that Victoria Police conducted a thorough examination and found no evidence that Mr Thornburgh’s death was suspicious.”

The Herald Sun revealed in 2018 that Mr Thornburgh did not tell police after shots were fired into Boutique, on Greville St, Prahran in 2016.

The anti-organised crime Echo Taskforce was called in but whoever was responsible has not been charged.

Boutique had once been Melbourne’s hottest nightspot.

Mr Thornburgh had hosted big names like Paris Hilton, Kylie Minogue, George Harrison, Kim Kardashian and Tommy Lee.