Michael Barrymore must ‘come clean’, says dad of raped man found dead in presenter’s pool
British entertainer Michael Barrymore. (FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/AFP via Getty Images)
British law enforcement are urging TV presenter Michael Barrymore to “come clean” about what led to the body of a raped and murdered man to be in his swimming pool.
In March 2001, Stuart Lubbock was found dead in the media personality’s mansion in Essex, England, after a night with eight other guests.
His death rippled across the country. Inspectors initially treated it as an accidental drowning, but post-mortem results indicted signs of sexual abuse.
Nearly two decades on, Stuart’s father Terry Lubbock has alleged Barrymore knows “more about this than you have said”, according to The Guardian.
Stuart Lubbock’s father to Michael Barrymore: ‘I think you know more about this than you have said.’
Police listed Barrymore and his seven pool party guests as suspects in the killing of Stuart.
Essex Police and Crimestoppers have offered a £20,000 reward for information. Detectives hope the reward coupled with an upcoming documentary, Barrymore: The Body in the Pool, will generate new leads.
Terry told a throng of reporters at a Chelmsford press conference: “I think it’s time he comes clean.
“It’s time now, Michael. I think you know more about this than you have said.
Terry Lubbock the father of Stuart Lubbock, who died in suspicious circumstances at the former home of British entertainer Michael Barrymore in Roydon, England. (MAX NASH/AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s time now for you to either clear your name or put your hands up to what happened, because you must know.”
Detective chief inspector Stephen 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 on Stuart Lubbock.
“We want the people who do have information to come forward and talk to us – 19 years is a long time, loyalties change and it is never too late to do the right thing.
“Some people also arrived at the scene after Stuart’s death. They may hold the key information and we would like to hear from them.”
Essex detectives hope to convict killer nearer two decades on.
Jennings explained that three individuals arrested linked to the death – including Michael Barrymore – have not been “completely eliminated” from inquiries.
The trio also included Barrymore’s former flame, Jonathan Kenney and waste collector Justin Merritt. All three were released without charge.
Detectives are treating five other people as witnesses, while Jennings admitted that officers made mistakes in the initial investigation.
Crucially, items possibly used in the attack – such as a pool thermometer and doorhandles – vanished from the crime scene.
However, he has since said that this renewed drive to finally book the killer may finally lead to a conviction.
“We know not everyone at that party was responsible for what happened, but someone was. We also know that not everyone at that party may know what happened, but someone does,” he said.
Michael Barrymore, since his 2007 arrest, has strictly maintained his innocence. Speaking to on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, he declared he “couldn’t be more sorry” and stated he is “100 per cent innocent”.
