Stuart Lubbock’s dying father ‘seeking police review into decision to release man without charge’
Stuart Lubbock’s dying father ‘is seeking police review into decision to release man, 50, without charge’ as detectives admit unsolved 2001 case of death at Michael Barrymore’s Essex mansion has ‘reached the end of the road’
Man arrested on suspicion of murder of Stuart Lubbock at Michael Barrymore’s home released without chargeThe 50-year-old suspect was arrested after ‘information’ came to light over how Mr Lubbock died in 2001Mr Lubbock, 31, had been attending a party at Barrymore’s luxury home in Roydon with eight other peoplePost-mortem exam showed he had suffered internal injuries which suggested he had been sexually assaultedAlcohol, ecstasy and cocaine were found in his bloodstream. The coroner recorded an open verdict
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Stuart Lubbock’s dying father is seeking a police review into the decision to release a man arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting and murdering his 31-year-old son at Michael Barrymore’s luxury Essex mansion without charge.
Terry Lubbock, who is terminally ill with cancer and has campaigned for justice for his son for years, wants Essex Police to review the decision not to charge the unnamed 50-year-old with murder 20 years after Stuart’s death, his friend Harry Cichy said.
Detectives arrested the man in Cheshire on March 17 this year after ‘significant new information’ came in following the offer of a £40,000 reward when the Channel 4 documentary Barrymore: Body In The Pool was released last year.
Stuart had been attending a party at Barrymore’s £2million home with eight other people on March 31, 2001 when he was found floating in the swimming pool. A post-mortem examination showed he had suffered severe internal injuries which suggested he had been sexually assaulted.
Alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine were found in his bloodstream. The coroner recorded an open verdict.
But in the latest development, Essex Police said the man was released without further action because there was insufficient evidence for a ‘realistic chance of a successful prosecution’. The force’s senior investigating officer DCI Stephen Jennings said the news was a ‘huge personal disappointment’ to all of the detectives involved in the case.
Stuart’s death shocked Britain and ended Barrymore’s TV career overnight. The entertainer, who made millions as one of the UK’s top TV personalities of the 1980s and 1990s, has always denied playing any part in his suspected murder.
DCI Stephen Jennings said: ‘We have explored all possible lines of enquiry and sometimes, regrettably, the evidence is not yet there to issue charges. I know that this may be of little comfort to Stuart’s father and his family. At every stage, it is the Lubbock family and our search for justice for them that dominates our thoughts and our actions.
‘We have tried our best. We will continue to try our best.
The dying father of Stuart Lubbock (pictured) is seeking a police review into the decision to release a man arrested on suspicion of indecently assaulting and murdering his 31-year-old son at Michael Barrymore’s luxury Essex mansion without charge
Mr Lubbock’s death shocked Britain and ended Barrymore’s TV career overnight. The star, who made millions as one of the UK’s top TV personalities of the 1980s and 1990s, has always denied playing any part in his suspected murder
Earlier this year, Mr Lubbock (right on Sunday) has said he wanted a coroner to oversee a new inquest into the death of his son (left) and welcomes the arrest as he fights for justice
Mr Lubbock had been attending a party at Barrymore’s luxury home in Roydon with eight other people on March 31, 2001
‘For the last 20 years, as we have continually stated, two things have remained consistent. One is the commitment of Essex Police to deliver justice for Stuart and his father Terry.
‘The second is that we believe of those present on the night Stuart died, someone at the house was responsible and someone knows what happened.’
He added the force has ‘never given up on this case’ and all they want is to ‘deliver justice for Mr Lubbock and his family’.
Mr Cichy said of Mr Lubbock Sr: ‘I’ve spoken to Terry, and he wants the police to review the decision.’
Barrymore has been reduced to playing Strike It Lucky live with fans on Instagram and was last seen on TV during a stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006. A planned appearance on Dancing on Ice last year never happened after he broke his wrist and he was never invited back.
Last year’s Channel 4 documentary about the case prompted Barrymore 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 (pictured walking his dog with a friend in West London) was one of Britain’s best known stars
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
Stuart was found floating in Mr Barrymore’s swimming pool but nobody has been brought to justice for causing his death, two decades ago this month.
Detectives believe that Mr Lubbuck may also have been abused by a pool thermometer and outhouse handle that went missing after his suspected murder.
The initial investigation was deeply flawed after officers failed to secure the crime scene and assumed Stuart had drowned. Stuart may have been fatally injured in the jacuzzi and then dumped in the pool to make it look like an accident, it has been claimed previously.
Barrymore was married to agent Cheryl Barrymore for 21 years but revealed he was gay in August 1995 and split from his wife a year later. 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.
