Police arrest man, 50, over death of 31-year-old Stuart Lubbock at Michael Barrymore’s home in 2001
Police arrest man, 50, over indecent assault and murder of 31-year-old Stuart Lubbock who died after being found unconscious in swimming pool at Michael Barrymore’s home in 2001
- Stuart Lubbock, 31, died at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore in 2001
- Police launched a murder and indecent assault investigation following his death
- Essex Police say a 50-year-old man has been arrested in relation to investigation
- Mr Barrymore, 68, has always denied any involvement in Mr Lubbock’s death
Detectives have arrested a man over the death of Stuart Lubbock, who died at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore 20 years ago.
Essex Police said the man, 50, who has not been named, had been arrested ‘in connection with the indecent assault and murder’ of the 31-year-old.
Mr Lubbock had been attending a party at now 68-year-old Barrymore’s luxury home in the Essex village of Roydon with eight other people on March 31, 2001.
Detectives have arrested a man over the death of Stuart Lubbock (pictured), who died at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore 20 years ago
The 68-year-old former television presenter (pictured) – who became a household name for shows such as Strike It Lucky – has always denied involvement in the death
Mr Lubbock, 31, had been attending a party at Barrymore’s luxury home in the Essex village of Roydon with eight other people on March 31, 2001
A post-mortem examination showed Mr Lubbock, who was a butcher, had suffered severe internal injuries which suggested he had been sexually assaulted.
Alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine were found in his bloodstream.
Barrymore was criticised for leaving his home soon after Mr Lubbock was found floating in the outside pool of his £2million home.
The 68-year-old former television presenter – who became a household name for shows such as Strike It Lucky – has always denied involvement in the death.
He was arrested on suspicion of rape and serious sexual assault in 2007, along with two other people. No charges were brought due to lack of evidence.
Barrymore later launched a high court case for £2.4million damages for wrongful arrest. He received a nominal sum after Essex Police won an appeal.
The arrest comes just days after Stuart’s father Terry Lubbock, 76, said he had hopes that a witness with information might soon come forward to help the investigation.
The arrest comes just days after Stuart’s father Terry Lubbock (pictured), 76, said he had hopes that a witness with information might soon come forward
Earlier this year, Mr Lubbock said he wanted a coroner to oversee a new inquest into Stuart’s death
Police believe Mr Lubbock was sexually assaulted and murdered with his body possibly moved from a jacuzzi to make it look like he had accidentally drowned
Terry Lubbock, who has terminal cancer, said some people who were at the party must be living under ‘terrible’ pressure.
He also said he wanted a coroner to oversee a new inquest into his son’s death.
A coroner recorded an open verdict after an inquest in 2002 and, three years ago, the then-attorney general, Jeremy Wright, refused to give Mr Lubbock the go-ahead to make an application to the High Court for a second inquest.
But Mr Lubbock, who lives in Harlow, said in January that he thought information must have emerged which justified a fresh inquiry by a coroner.
Speaking following news of an arrest today, Mr Lubbock said: ‘There is just so much going on in my head. I can’t get my head around it.
‘Of course I’m happy. Of course this is good news. But it’s been 20 years. This has nearly killed me.’
Meanwhile, Harry Clichy, a friend of the Lubbock family, said: ‘I’m pleased. Of course this is progress.
‘We can only hope it leads to justice for Stuart after all these years.’
Last year, Barrymore said he wanted another investigation into Mr Lubbock’s death by a new police force. The investigation has so far been carried out by Essex Police.
The entertainer also told Good Morning Britain he is going through ‘pain and agony’ due to the incident – which effectively ended his mainstream television career.
He also criticised Channel 4 over a programme aired last year called ‘Barrymore: The Body In The Pool’, which he described as ‘vile and vicious’.
In an interview with Good Morning Britain in March last year, Barrymore spoke about the others at the party that night, saying: ‘I’ve never seen them since that day … I haven’t got a number (for them), nothing.’
‘I don’t know any of them. The wall of silence is because they don’t know (what happened). I do believe that.’
Asked if he had anything fresh to offer the police, he said: ‘I honestly wish I did’, adding that he had been ‘through 20 years of Hell’. I haven’t got another another (story). I’ve only got the one story,’ he said.
He said Mr Lubbock’s father Terry’s torment ‘comes before me and everybody’ but added: ‘I can’t live my life. I can’t get on with my life.’
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Channel Four said at the time that Barrymore had been ‘given a fair opportunity to respond to significant allegations and his position was fairly reflected in the documentary’.
Bosses behind the programme said it aimed to piece together the perspectives of the Lubbock family, as well as those of the detectives, forensic pathologists and eyewitnesses to explore what happened that night at Barrymore’s Essex bungalow, and the events that followed.
Among the footage used was a recording of the original 999 call made after Mr Lubbock was discovered in the pool.
Speaking about the airing of the documentary, Terry Lubbock said: ‘This documentary is about the questions around what happened to my son, Stuart Lubbock. Finally.
‘The story has become so distorted and confused over the years. So much has been said and written. It’s time to put all the facts together in one place.’
Speaking about the release at the time, Channel 4 commissioning editor Alisa Pomeroy said: ‘This film is a reflective piece that tells the story of an unexplained tragedy that unfolded in the glare of an unforgiving media.
‘It sheds light on the complex relationship between celebrity, the criminal justice system and an all-powerful tabloid press in the early Noughties, but, most of all, it’s the deeply moving story of the Lubbock family’s continuing quest for answers and justice, nearly 20 years on.’
The other seven guests present on the night that Mr Lubbock died
Jonathan Kenney
Kenney, from Blackpool in Lancashire, was Barrymore’s boyfriend at the time of Mr Lubbock’s death.
He was formerly a drag queen but more recently had been working as a driving test examiner.
Kenney, along with Barrymore, invited the other seven guests over to the house after they partied together at the Millennium nightclub in Harlow, Essex.
He was one of three people arrested on suspicion of murder by Essex Police in 2007 before he was later released without charge.
Justin Merritt
Former dustman Justin was unemployed when he went back to Barrymore’s house along with his sister Kylie.
Reports from the time claimed Justin was an ‘unofficial minder’ to the TV star during that night.
He had walked up to Barrymore outside the nightclub earlier and said: ‘I’ll look after you. I’ll be your security to get you home.’
Mr Merritt claimed to have shared a Jacuzzi with Mr Lubbock and last saw him alive ‘bombing’ in the pool and in high spirits.
He, along with Barrymore and Kenney, were arrested on suspicion of murder before ultimately being released.
Kylie Merritt
Kylie was Justin’s sister and had been present with him in the nightclub when Justin had offered to be Barrymore’s minder on the night.
The siblings, along with Barrymore and Mr Lubbock shared a taxi back to the house.
Miss Merritt would later claim that she had then seen Mr Lubbock ‘larking about’ by himself in the swimming pool.
On another occasion, she said she saw Barrymore with two men in a small room near his bedroom door.
She would also claim that Barrymore had produced cocaine on the night and had tried to rub the drug into My Lubbock’s gums, something he denied.
Ms Merritt infamously took a lie detector test for the News of the World, which suggested she was not being truthful when questioned about what happened that day.
James Futers
Mr Futers was a chef who lived near Barrymore in Roydon, Essex.
He would tell a court how the TV star offered him ‘white powder’ shortly after he arrived at the house for the party.
Later he would add that he believed the drug to be cocaine.
Mr Futers had met Barrymore on several previous occasions to have a drink and ‘play cards’.
He had been at the nightclub with Barrymore that night and had agreed to go back to his house for an ‘impromptu’ gathering.
Simon Shaw
Mr Shaw had been invited to the party due to his friendship with Barrymore’s neighbour Mr Futers.
During court testimony, he recounted how he spotted Mr Lubbock in the pool and jumped in to help him.
He said he tied to pull him up from the bottom of the pool but found him to heavy, returning for breath before going back and successfully lifting him out.
Mr Shaw then left the home with Mr Futers as he thought ‘what happened was a bit scary’, and was joined by Barrymore.
They all went back to Mr Shaw’s house, where they spoke about what had occurred while Barrymore made phone calls to his ‘PR man’.
Claire Jones and Kelly Campbell
Ms Jones, a 17-year-old cashier at the time, and her friend Kelly Campbell had only met Barrymore hours early at the nightclub when they were invited back for the party.
She would later tell police how she saw Barrymore rummaging through drawers and changing his clothes before police arrived.
Ms Jones also told police that when Barrymore left the house he had a ‘bundle of material’ under his arm.
