Man arrested over 2001 death at Michael Barrymore’s home
A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of the murder and indecent assault of Stuart Lubbock at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore 20 years ago after “significant new information” came to light.
Essex Police said the man, 50, who has not been named, was arrested in Cheshire yesterday and remains in custody where he continues to be questioned.
Butcher Mr Lubbock, 31, had been attending a party at Barrymore’s luxury home in Roydon with eight other people on March 31, 2001 when he died.
Police said they would contact all of those at the party in the coming days following the arrest, and warned: “We know that not everyone was responsible for what happened, but someone was.”
Responding to the breakthrough in the case, Mr Lubbock’s 76-year-old father Terry, who is terminally ill, 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.”
Speaking outside Essex Police headquarters in Chelmsford, Detective Superintendent Lucy Morris said: “The arrest comes after significant new information came to light following our renewed appeal for information and offer of an enhanced reward, which coincided with a major TV documentary broadcast in February 2020.
“This information has led to us making an arrest and over the coming days we will be contacting all those who were present at the party at the time as well as others who may have information.”
Last year’s Channel 4 documentary about the case prompted Barrymore, 68, to issue a fresh denial of any wrongdoing, saying: “I have had nothing to do with this whatsoever and yet I keep getting bashed and bullied by the media.”
Barrymore was criticised for leaving his home soon after Mr Lubbock was found floating in the outside pool. A post-mortem examination showed Mr Lubbock had suffered severe internal injuries which suggested he had been sexually assaulted.