Barrymore party ‘murder’: Police hunt at least two
AT least two people were involved in the rape and murder of a guest at Michael Barrymore’s mansion, the police chief leading a new investigation said yesterday.
Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings said that given the severity of Stuart Lubbock’s injuries it was ‘likely’ more than one person had been complicit.
All eight people at the party held at the former TV star’s home remained under suspicion – including Barrymore himself, DCI Jennings said.
‘I can’t rule out an individual but on the balance of probabilities from the level of intelligence we’ve got, it’s more likely that more than one person was involved,’ DCI Jennings said.
‘I believe that he was raped and murdered that night. One or more of those party-goers are responsible for that serious sexual assault.’
The force revealed it is offering a £20,000 reward in conjunction with Crimestoppers for information leading to arrests.
The body of Mr Lubbock, 31, was found in the pool of Barrymore’s £2million home in Roydon, Essex, on March 31, 2001.
Barrymore, one of ITV’s biggest
Denials: Michael Barrymore stars with a string of hit shows including Strike It Lucky, fled from the house before police arrived.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Lubbock, a divorced father-of-two from Harlow, had suffered major internal injuries consistent with rape.
The cause of death was never established and an open verdict was recorded after conflicting reports from pathologists. Cocaine, ecstasy and alcohol were found in his system.
Barrymore 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, now 67, – who has always denied any involvement in the death – launched a high court case for £2.4million damages for wrongful arrest. He received a nominal sum after Essex Police won an appeal.
DCI Jennings yesterday added: ‘Eight people were at the party. I don’t think all eight were involved [but] I don’t think I’m looking for anyone else who climbed over the wall and committed these offences.’
Over the weekend it emerged two potentially vital pieces of evidence had disappeared from the crime scene.
Officers have never found a handle from an outhouse and a pool thermometer that may have been used in the assault on Mr Lubbock. The area was not properly locked down as police initially thought he had drowned and assumed no one else was involved.
The admission came ahead of an explosive Channel 4 documentary about the case, Barrymore: The Body in the Pool, to be aired at 9pm on Thursday.
Barrymore, a recovering alcoholic and drug user who now lives in a flat in west London, has tried to resurrect his career and was in the line-up for the current series of ITV’s Dancing on Ice but pulled out after breaking his wrist during rehearsals.
Mr Lubbock’s father Terry, 75, who lives in a care home, said the former entertainer’s attempts to get back on television had ‘kept this in the news’.