Michael Barrymore pool death: Detective leading fresh probe 'believes victim was murdered'

Michael Barrymore arriving at the High Court in London, during his compensation case against Essex Police
PA Archive/PA Images
Luke O'Reilly2 February 2020

A detective leading a fresh probe into the death of a man at Michael Barrymore's home almost 20 years ago has said he believes the victim was murdered.

Barrymore was one of the best-known TV presenters in the UK when the body of Stuart Lubbock was found at his then home in Roydon, Essex, in 2001 after a party.

Six years later, the star was arrested in connection with the death. He was then released without charge before withdrawing from public life.

The explosive new Channel 4 documentary, which has the working title Unexplained, has been 18 months in the making and features never-before-seen material from inside the unsolved Essex Police case.

Now Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings had made a fresh appeal for evidence surrounding the death of Mr Lubbock.

Barrymore has always denied involvement in Mr Lubbock's death
PA

According to the Mirror, DCI Jennings will tell Channel 4: “I believe very much that Stuart Lubbock was raped and murdered that night.”

Michael Barrymore has always denied any involvement in Mr Lubbock's death.

He sobbed as he recalled the events that ruined his career on Piers Morgan’s ITV programme Life Stories.​

The TV star told Morgan he “couldn’t be more sorry” for his behaviour that night.

Barrymore fled and stayed silent during an inquest into Mr Lubbock‘s death.

But, struggling to hold back tears, the 67-year-old claimed he had left his home because he thought it would be “surrounded” by press.

Stuart Lubbock was found dead in Barrymore's pool
PA

He said he deserved to “walk around with my head held high for the rest of my life” after winning compensation from Essex Police last year for wrongful arrest.​

Recalling the events of 2001, he said: “That family deserves proper answers. No parent should have to bury their young.

“I had nothing to do with Stuart. I am innocent. I am not 99.9% innocent. I am 100% innocent and I am entitled to walk around with my head held high for the rest of my life.”

Terry Lubbock, father of Stuart, protests outside the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh ahead of a show starring Michael Barrymore
PA Archive/PA Images

He added: “I didn’t facilitate him taking drugs. I was advised (to stay silent) by lawyers at the time. You don’t have to answer in a coroners court.

“I can see lots of things in hindsight. I’m not making excuses. I f***ed up. I f***ed up. What more do you want? I’m sorry. I couldn’t be more sorry.

“I have to live in hope that somehow, somewhere, there will be an answer. I just hope it will be within what is left of my life.”

Barrymore also rubbished claims made in the press that he had been hosting a “gay orgy”, asking: “How do you have a gay orgy with four girls and five blokes, two of whom are straight?”

Mr Lubbock’s body was found in Barrymore’s pool after a party where drugs and alcohol were consumed.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered serious anal injuries. In 2002, an open verdict was recorded at the inquest into his death.

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