Hours after Stuart Lubbock was found dead at his home, Michael Barrymore had an emergency operation on his penis

Additional note posted 31 March 2021: Today, 20 years ago, Stuart Lubbock's 31-year-old life was ended when he was raped to death by one or more men at the home of Michael Barrymore


=======================================================================================   

Hours after Stuart Lubbock was found dead at his home, Michael Barrymore had an emergency operation on his penis

by Tony Bennett

At 5.46am on Saturday, 31 March, in the early hours just as dawn was beginning to break, Michael Barrymore’s Harlow, Essex friend, Justin Merritt ’phoned Essex Ambulance Service. He told them that he and others had found Stuart floating in Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool, had dived in and pulled him out, and were applying CPR to start his heart beating. As most here know, I have never accepted that story. I believe that Stuart Lubbock was raped to death by one or more people gathered at Michael Barrymore’s house that night (I refuse to call it a ‘party’). I further believe that Stuart was probably dead by about 4.30am that morning.

We know for a fact that Barrymore’s manager, Mike Brown, was called to the scene and I believe that, contrary to his evidence, he arrived in time to help with a rapid ‘clean-up’ operation and organised what I have called the ‘pool drowning hoax’.

With the help of a full set of witness statements and expert reports gathered by Essex Police for the Inquest on Stuart’s death, held in September 2002, which Terry Lubbock handed to me in January 2006, I was able to conduct a detailed analysis of the events that night of shame. I concluded that Barrymore and five of his friends that night, probably with the help of Mike Browne, cleaned up Stuart’s lifeless body, carefully put a pair of shorts on him, laid him by the poolside, and then threw some buckets of water over him to fake a drowning.

For twenty years now, Essex Police, the Coroner’s Inquest and the mainstream media have all conspired to suppress this truth. Even today, the media and documentary makers insist on referring to Stuart simply as ‘the body in the pool’. They have all ignored the evidence I presented in my 2007 book on the case: ‘NOT AWIGHT: Getting Away With Murder’.

But in late 2015, an extraordinary legal case was initiated by Michael Barrymore against Essex Police. He decided to sue Essex Police for his ‘wrongful arrest’ in June 2007 (along with his former lover Jonathan Kenney and his friend Justin Merritt) on suspicion of murder. He told the Court, through his barristers, that there were no reasonable grounds to arrest him, and that the arresting officer was one rank below that required by law to arrest someone charged with murder. He claimed £2.5 million damages.

There were several court hearings. During these hearings, some very significant new information about the incident were revealed.

Sensationally, Essex Police revealed that two informers had told them that Barrymore, or those close to him, had paid two of the witness of that night to withhold their evidence of what they knew about what happened to Stuart..

When I heard this news. I automatically thought of the two young women, aged about 20, who were unwittingly enticed to Barrymore’s mansion that night. I am absolutely sure that neither of them had any involvement in the events leading up to Stuart’s murder that night. On the other hand, when I read their two witness statements, I had the distinct feeling that they were holding back quite a lot of what they knew.

During the whole of 2006, the local newspaper where I lived, the Harlow Star, was covering the news about Terry’s attempts to get justice for Stuart. He was on the front page nearly every week, after I attempted to bring a private prosecution against Michael Barrymore in respect of the drug-taking that clearly went on that night. There was regular national media coverage as well. One Thursday night, soon after the local paper had been distributed, I got a really angry ‘phone call from a man. He bitterly accused me of raking up the case again after so many years. He shouted down the ’phone that “this was all settled at the Inquest”. He said: “Nothing happened that night, Stuart drowned. That’s all there is to it”. He told me to stop what I was doing if I knew what was good for me. His voice was menacing and threatening, though I do not recall him making any specific threat against me. It was very unnerving.

As I reflected on this afterwards, and discussed this with others, the thought that came to us was that this might have been a relative or close friend of one of the two girls. We thought that perhaps one or both had been bribed not to say anything about what really happened that night. I recall now that one of the two girls, in her police witness statement, had said that a rape had taken place that night.

In the High Court proceedings in the case of Barrymore vs Essex Police, the police made a dramatic revelation.

As the Daily Telegraph reported on 25 May 2017, Michael Barrymore, said the headline, “paid off two witnesses not to give evidence over pool death” (again, that irksome ‘pool death’ headline!). It continued: “An extract from a police intelligence report read to the hearing by a barrister representing the force alleged that: ‘Two people had been paid off by Michael Barrymore to not give evidence against him’.”

I think there is a second possibility. It may also be that the two young women didn’t know what had gone on that night and that the two young male village friends of Barrymore were the ones who needed large bribes not to reveal the truth.

One other hugely significant fact was revealed during the proceedings of Barrymore vs Essex Police.

It was this:

Barrymore had had an emergency procedure on his penis the day after Stuart Lubbock had been murdered, or possibly the same day (see below).

Here is an extract from the court record of the judgment when Barrymore appealed the findings of an interim High Court hearing, quote:

Para 28
The second piece of information was the statement of a Police Community Support Officer dated 14 May 2007. He said that at some time between 2001 and 2006, he had been asked to take a statement from a female working at Springfield Medical Centre in Chelmsford. She had told him that, the day after the death of Mr Lubbock, Mr Parker “had a procedure on his penis” at the centre. He reported speaking again to the female on 17 May 2007. This time she admitted telling the police that she had seen Mr Parker at the centre but claimed not to remember mentioning any injury to Mr Parker’s penis because she had not looked after him during his visit; she refused to provide a statement. Off the record she confirmed that he attended the centre “at the time of the incident at [Mr Parker’s] address”.


Hours after the killing of Stuart Lubbock at his home, Michael Barrymore was whisked off to The Priory Hospital, Chelmsford (above), an addiction treatment centre for the wealthy. That day or the next day, he had an emergency operation on his penis   

Para 29
In his evidence, Det. Supt. Wilson maintained that the information about a visit to the medical centre was important despite its obvious weaknesses and the need to fit it into Mr Parker’s known movements on 31 March 2001. The lead was not followed up although the original record of the receipt of the information said that the matter would be put to Mr Parker and consent to examine medical records would be sought. The explanation for it not being followed up was said to be patient confidentiality. In Stuart- Smith J’s view, it was possible that by the stage of the meeting Mr Wilson had formed the view that there would be a forensic advantage in presenting the allegation to Mr Parker “cold” after arrest.

----

According to the above transcript of the judgment, Barrymore had his penis injury dealt with on the day after Stuart’s death. It seems that Barrymore was admitted to the high class, private retreat and addiction treatment centre, The Priory Hospital, on the date of Stuart’s death, that is 31 March. The Springfield Medical Centre is no more a mile south-west of the Priory Hospital and can be reached within minutes on foot or by car. It is possible that Barrymore could have gone for his emergency operation on his journey to the Priory. Alternatively he could have gone there the following day, or perhaps both. He may have initially attended to have his penis wound bandaged, pending an operation the following day.

In considering this matter, we must put the spotlight once again on the actions, rather the failure to act, by Essex Police. It is a matter of record that a female member of staff at the Springfield Medical Centre contacted the police about Barrymore having an emergency operation on his penis.

Here are some questions that we simply must ask:

1. What action did Essex Police take on a matter of high relevance to the death of Stuart Lubbock?

2. Why did they not immediately demand the medical records from the doctor and staff who performed this operation – if necessary, getting an emergency court order to obtain them. The confidentiality of one’s medical records is sacrosanct in many people’s eyes...but surely not if one is investigating a highly suspicious death where there is evidence of rape, and one of the lead suspects did a runner from the scene of the crime?

3. Did the police inform the Coroner of this information. If not, why not?

The High Court was critical of the overall police response to the incident.

----

Photo: Stuart Lubbock, 31, who was found dead in Michael Barrymore's swimming pool

“Police had ‘reasonable grounds’ to arrest Mr Barrymore in connection with Mr Lubbock's death, the High Court was told on Thursday.

“An extract from a police intelligence report read to the hearing by a barrister representing the force alleged that: ‘Two people had been paid off by Michael Barrymore to not give evidence against him’.

“Mr Barrymore, Jonathan Kenney and Justin Merritt were all present when Mr Lubbock died at the TV star's home in Roydon, Essex.

“Post-mortem tests found Mr Lubbock had suffered severe internal injuries and toxicology revealed ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol in his bloodstream.

“Essex and Thurrock Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict into the 31-year-old butcher's death at an inquest in 2002.

“Mr Barrymore - along with Mr Kenney and Mr Merritt - was later held on suspicion of rape and murder in 2007. None of them were charged.

“Essex Police has accepted liability and that the arrest was unlawful. But the force claims their liability was on a technicality as they sent the wrong officer to make the arrest.

“The force claims officers did have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect Mr Barrymore of murder and rape, and to believe the arrest was necessary for an effective investigation. They argue he should only be entitled to nominal damages of just £1.

“Today, the High Court heard the closing submission of John Beggs QC, representing Essex Police. He said: ‘There was potentially a very serious crime, the most serious of crimes in this case, namely murder, and we say it was reasonable to suspect it was preceded by another serious crime, namely rape.’ He added: ‘You don't need to know there was a murder, you have to suspect there was a murder. If you have a dead body of a healthy person, that is a reason to suspect murder’. He told the court that there still was not an explanation as to what happened to Mr Lubbock.

“Mr Beggs QC said: ‘With this claimant [Barrymore], he has never given a cogent explanation as how a young man was so seriously injured in a confined space with so few people present’.

“The Essex Police representative said police had to act when new witnesses came forward offering more information into the death. The court was also taken through evidence from the 2002 inquest from a series of experts who said it was possible Mr Lubbock was dead before he entered the swimming pool.

"There were very few people at the property. It was no bigger than a dinner party of nine people, not 160. If there had been 160 persons present and 140 had no idea what went on that might not be very suspicious. But we have eight survivors, and at no point, not one can offer a single explanation.

“The court also heard shortly after Mr Lubbock's body was discovered Mr Barrymore left the property over fears the press would turn up. However, Mr Beggs said: ‘After he had been found, others were seen trying to help him, giving him CPR. The claimant was seen rummaging through drawers and he is observed carrying something under his arm. His counsel says he was just carrying a jumper. The simple position is the police never discovered, they can't know, what he removed’.

“He left his own home before the police arrived at his home which Mr Beggs said was a ‘suspicious thing to do’. He said: ‘If you ask the man on the Clapham Omnibus, if someone at your party died, how many would say they would leave the scene? The claimant bought himself two hours thinking time before he was questioned by police. A more experienced detective could have lawfully arrested him there and then for leaving the scene”.

“The court was briefly taken to an intelligence report, which contained an anonymous tip received by the police during their investigation. Reading from the report, Mr Begg said: “At 5am in the morning of Mr Lubbock's death, Jonathan Kenney called Mike Brown on a mobile and told him what had happened. He said 'clean up the house' and the police were called after this was done.

“Still reading from the intelligence report, Mr Beggs added: ‘Two people had been paid off by Michael Barrymore to not give evidence against him’.”

===================================================== 


On 17 March this year, 50-year-old Jonathan Kenney was arrested by Essex Police on suspicion of the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock. He has been bailed to attend again at a police station on 12 April       



Jonathan Kenney, a noted drag queen

An interesting read. Thanks for that Tony. I do hope Terry Lubbock lives long enough to see some sort of justice for his son.

Silentscope wrote:What is this recurring theme with sexual activity and islands?

Secrecy...

...no prying eyes...

does make you wonder if barrymore did indeed come on to 
stewart, then somthing was forced into stewarts mouth so he bit 
it. revenge was taken in the form of the sexual assault whilst 
another person was holding stewart round the neck.

Michael Barrymore 'quizzed by police' over Stuart Lubbock's swimming pool death 20yrs ago

Video here - https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1428178/michael-barrymore-stuart-lubbock-death-police-swimming-pool-latest-update?jwsource=cl



MICHAEL BARRYMORE has reportedly been quizzed by police again over the death of Stuart Lubbock, who died in the TV star's swimming pool 20 years ago.

Mr Lubbock had been invited to the house after meeting Mr Barrymore and his companions at the Millennium nightclub in Harlow. But the events of the party still remain a mystery 20 years later.

Last month, detectives revealed they were planning to contact the former TV star and other men who were at a "drink and drug-fuelled party" which resulted in the death of Mr Lubbock.

A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Mr Lubbock's murder last month but was later released.

Mr Barrymore reportedly met with Essex Police last week and was quizzed if any new information "might have come to mind" over the last 20 years.

Mr Barrymore's ex-agent, Mike Browne, told the Sun: "The police asked us if we had anything new that might have come to mind in the last 20 years but we don't.



Michael Barrymore quizzed by police again



Michael Barrymore quizzed by police again (Image: Getty/PA)

Stuart Lubbock

Stuart Lubbock (Image: PA)
"Everything we know we've said.

"We both just want this to be resolved for everyone's sake."

The renewed questioning comes after Mr Lubbock's ex-wife Sue Homan said Mr Lubbock's cancer-stricken father, Terry, is "positive" they will get justice.

She said: "Terry is still positive we will get justice.

READ MORE: Michael Barrymore fights tears speaking on Mr Lubbock's death


Stuart Lubbock's father Terry Lubbock

Stuart Lubbock's father Terry Lubbock (Image: PA)

“The police have good evidence.

"I think things are going to go further.”

Mr Lubbock died after suffering horrific internal injuries and was found in Mr Barrymore's pool wearing only boxer shorts.

Tests found significant amounts of alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine in Mr Lubbock's blood.



He also had severe "sexual injuries" from being raped.

Mr Lubbock was pulled from the pool but died in hospital, with pathologists saying the most likely cause of death was drowning.

Jonathan Kenney, Mr Barrymore's former partner and dustman Justin Merritt were arrested at the time but were both later released without charge.

Mr Barrymore was not at the house when police arrived but was interviewed later.



Michael Barrymore questioned by police

Michael Barrymore questioned by police (Image: Getty)
He was cautioned for possessing cannabis and letting his premises be used for drug-taking.

In June 2007, Mr Barrymore was arrested along with Mr Kenney, then 37, and Mr Merritt, then 32.

No charges were brought and all three men denied any part in Mr Lubbock's murder.

Mr Barrymore, whose real surname is Parker, successfully sued Essex Police for wrongful arrest and was awarded nominal damages following a ruling at the Court of Appeal.

Michael Barrymore's TV career was ruined

Michael Barrymore's TV career was ruined (Image: Getty)



In 2009, the police watchdog published the findings of a review of the investigation into Mr Lubbock's death.

It concluded that officers missed crucial evidence and did not ensure vital forensic tests were completed until six years later.

Items, including the swimming pool thermometer, went missing from the scene.

Mr Barrymore's television career collapsed in the wake of the allegations, although he enjoyed a brief return to the spotlight during a stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.

Express.co.uk has contacted Mr Barrymore's representatives offering him a chance to respond.

There is no doubt in my simple mind that the police did not pursue a violent act of murder to the best of their capabilities. 

Murder.