Barrymore gets `justice` over pool death
Essex Police has reportedly accepted that Michael Barrymore was wrongfully arrested and questioned over the death of a man in his swimming pool.
Essex Police has reportedly accepted that Michael Barrymore was wrongfully arrested and questioned over the death of a man in his swimming pool.
Mr Barrymore was arrested in 2007 on suspicion of murder and rape. He was held in custody for 36 hours and the case was dropped three years later due to insufficient evidence.
Father-of-two Stuart Lubbock was found dead in the presenters pool following a party at his home in Roydon, Essex in 2001.
It is believed that High Court papers confirm Mr Barrymores lawyers have signed an agreement with Essex Police stating: Judgment be entered for the Claimant (Barrymore) on the issue of liability.
The application was lodged in 2013 after he claimed officers had no right to arrest him because there was no evidence of his involvement in Mr Lubbocks death.
He is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages for wrongful arrest and detention which led him to suffer “loss and damage namely distress, shock, anxiety and damage to his reputation”.
After more than two very successful decades on TV, Mr Barrymore lost his lucrative contract with ITV in 2002 after the inquest into the death.
Although he is yet to comment on Essex Polices reported decision, he replied to a fan on Twitter who asked what was happening this week saying: The answer, as much as I can say for the minute, is Justice.
However, Mr Lubbocks father has said the latest development does not bring justice or closure for him at all and has criticised Essex Police for the way it dealt with his sons death.
The incident occurred after Mr Lubbock met Mr Barrymore and his boyfriend in a nightclub. He was invited back to their house for a party.
At 5:46am, police were called by a guest to say a man had drowned in the pool.
The house was not treated as a crime scene but after a post-mortem found Mr Lubbock had suffered internal injuries, a murder investigation was launched.
Mr Barrymore fled the scene of the death, but later said he had panicked and was not trying to hide.
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: As the matter remains in litigation and is in the hands of lawyers, further comment would not be appropriate.