Death of Stuart Lubbock

Lubbock, a wholesale butcher's supervisor from Harlow, Essex, had visited the home of Barrymore after meeting him in The Millennium nightclub. A party followed.

According to BBC News,[1] neighbours described Lubbock as a "pleasant, sociable" man who lived with his father Terry and brother Kevin in a terraced house in Harlow. At the time of his death, Lubbock had two daughters, aged four and one, who were being brought up by his former partner whom he had left months earlier.

Lubbock was pronounced dead at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow (pictured in 2018)

A September 2002 inquest reached an open verdict: Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said, "None of these witnesses who were party guests for three hours have given to this court an explanation about how Stuart Lubbock, a previously fit 31-year old, should be found floating in a swimming pool at the premises with a significant level of alcohol and drugs in his system and have serious anal injuries."[2]

Michael Heath, the pathologist at Lubbock's post mortem, concluded that he had drowned accidentally. Three other pathologists who examined the body said that the marks on Lubbock's forehead suggested that he might have been asphyxiated. None of the pathologists claimed that this was the cause of death, and the marks could have been caused by extensive resuscitation attempts. In January 2006, Heath volunteered to stop working for the police after he was criticised for multiple occasions of having drawn conclusions contradictory to other pathologists.[3][4]

Following a dossier on the case presented to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) by Terry Lubbock's lawyer Tony Bennett on 1 December 2006, the IPCC approved an investigation by an outside police force into over 30 separate allegations of incompetence and possible corruption by Essex Police. The allegations pertain to their initial £8 million investigation into Stuart Lubbock's death. In April 2007, the IPCC elevated this investigation, internally managed and run, and appointed former Hertfordshire Police Officer Adrian Tapp to head the investigation. In May 2007, the IPCC agreed with Bennett that a total of 38 separate complaints about Essex Police would be investigated.

Terry Lubbock died in 2021. A friend said, "He's died sad, because he's died knowing people never knew the truth about what happened. But no one could have fought harder for their son. A new inquest was what really mattered to him. He had lost faith in the police. Sadly, he's died not knowing whether there will be another inquest.”[9]

On 14 June 2007, three men were arrested in connection with Lubbock's death. Michael Barrymore was one arrested on a charge of murder.[10] On 15 June, Barrymore was released without charge after being questioned.[11]

In July 2015, Barrymore sued Essex Police for damages to his reputation and career,[12] valuing his claim for at more than £2.4 million.[13] Essex Police subsequently acknowledged that Barrymore had been wrongfully arrested, although this was due to administrative errors and not to a lack of evidence.[14][15]

In August 2017, the High Court in London ruled that Barrymore would be entitled to "more than nominal" damages against Essex Police. This decision was overturned in 2019 by the Court of Appeal which ruled that he would be entitled only to "nominal" damages. Essex Police subsequently announced that Barrymore had dropped his compensation claim and that no payments had been made to him.[16]

On 4 February 2020, Essex Police offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. The cash reward, funded by Essex Police and the charity Crimestoppers, was in response to a new Channel 4 documentary on the incident, Barrymore: The Body in the Pool, that aired on 6 February 2020.[17][18]

On 17 March 2021, Essex Police confirmed that they had arrested a 50-year-old man from Cheshire in connection with the indecent assault and murder of Stuart Lubbock, as a result of the appeal, and were preparing to submit a file to the Crown Prosecution Service.[19]

Lucy Morris of Essex Police stated, "Nine people were at that party. We know that not everyone was responsible for what happened but someone was. Now is the time to come forward, if you haven't done so already, to set this matter to rest by providing us with any information you have." She emphasised Essex police had "never given up on this case" and investigations were complex.[20][21][22]

Following Terry Lubbock's death Det Ch Insp Jennings said, "Terry's devotion to his son and to his pursuit of justice knew no bounds. He was an example to many of us in his relentless quest for truth and justice. Our investigation into Stuart's death will not end with Terry's - as long as the case remains open, we will do all we can to deliver justice for him and his family. To this end we urge anyone who has information about Stuart's death to please now, more than ever, do the right thing and come forward."[23]