A Channel 4 documentary revisiting the death of Stuart Lubbock at Michael Barrymore's home has prompted his family to renew calls for the truth. Lubbock, 31, was found dead in the swimming pool of Barrymore's Essex home in March 2001 after a party. The case remains unsolved despite two police investigations, four pathologists' reports, and three arrests.
The documentary, 'Barrymore: The Body in the Pool', highlights the family's enduring grief. Stuart's father Terry, now 74 and in a care home, said the tragedy has 'smothered everything that was good about my son'. His brother Kevin recalled that Stuart only wanted to boast about being at a celebrity's house.
The programme notes that Lubbock's lungs were not waterlogged, and he suffered severe anal injuries. Some have suggested he was raped and murdered, with his body placed in the pool to simulate an accident. The tabloid frenzy at the time focused on alleged 'gay sex orgies' and drugs, but former News of the World reporter Paul McMullan admitted they were 'telling a load of lies'.
Essex Police have appointed a new senior investigating officer, DCI Stephen Jennings, and a £20,000 reward is offered by Crimestoppers. The documentary touched on police failures to secure the crime scene, with a door handle and pool thermometer going missing. Jennings said: 'Nineteen years is a long time. Loyalties change.'
