Michael Barrymore has always denied any involvement in Stuart’s death(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

On the night of March 31, 2001, Barrymore, had spent the evening at the Millennium nightclub in Harlow, Essex, with his then boyfriend, Jonathan Kenney.

He invited seven locals including Stuart, who he had never met, to his house. Alcohol, cannabis and cocaine were taken. At 5.48am the ambulance service received a call saying a man had been found in the swimming pool.

Stuart Lubbock had suffered internal injuries(Image: PA)

WITNESSES

Justin Merritt was the man who dialled 999 and was among the three arrested as part of the 2007 murder inquiry. He was also released without charge. The 2002 inquest heard the former binman, of Harlow, was in a hot tub with Mr Kenney when Stuart was in the pool. Mr Merritt told the inquest: “He went into the pool and was dive bombing.”

Kylie Merrit was at the nightclub with her brother when they shared a taxi to Barrymore’s property for the party. Weeping Kylie told the inquest that the television star had offered cocaine to party guests – which he denied.

At the time of Stuart’s death, Jonathan Kenney was Barrymore’s lover. The former drag queen told the inquest into Stuart’s death that he had been in the hot tub with Mr Merritt, and that when they got out of the hot tub to go upstairs, Stuart was still splashing around in the swimming pool.

Jonathan Kenney at the inquest in 2002(Image: Peter Lawson/Eastnews)

Michael Cieran Barrymore was one of Britain’s highest paid TV entertainers at the time. of the incident. Born in Bermondsey, South East London in 1952 his big break came aged 23 when he won an edition of New Faces. He has recently gained a new generation of fans with his TikTok videos getting millions of hits.

Claire Jones was just 17 years old when she went to the party. Claire’s friend Kelly Campbell also came along after they met Barrymore at the Millennium nightclub in nearby Harlow.

Neighbour James Futers knew the star and Simon Shaw joined him at the party. Barrymore said he showed them his new extension, adding: “The last time I saw Stuart was when he was walking towards the whirlpool bath. A couple of girls and a couple of lads went there.

CAUSE OF DEATH

Four pathologists were unable to agree on a definitive cause of death. Dr Michael Heath’s first postmortem found Stuart had drowned after suffering severe anal injuries.

The pool at Barrymore’s former house(Image: Channel 4)

Tests completed later concluded that he also had marks on his face that indicated possible asphyxiation. Ian Calder listed, as a possible cause of death, “asphyxia due to physical obstruction of the airway”. The possibility is raised that Stuart died before entering the water. Jack Crane said the injuries were “indicative of a serious sexual assault”.

Heath later resigned after a tribunal criticised his findings in two other cases

POLICE BLUNDERS

To begin with the police did not treat the house as a crime scene, at first accepting the explanation that Stuart had drowned after drinking heavily and taking cocaine and ecstasy. Barrymore’s agent was allowed access to the house on the day of the death.

Only after a postmortem found Stuart had suffered severe internal injuries was a murder probe launched. The police watchdog found two potentially important pieces of evidence – a swimming pool thermometer and a door handle – were never seized at the scene and had gone missing.

The pool thermometer vanished(Image: PA)

FORENSIC OPPORTUNITIES

A total of 98 items were submitted for forensic testing by the police. They included the boxer shorts Stuart was wearing when he was found and a bloody towel and bathrobe recovered from next to the pool. Other evidence examined included hairs, fibres, sweepings, swabs, clothing, glasses, bottles, household items and tools.

A bloodied towel was found next to the pool(Image: Channel 4)

The Independent Police Complaints Commission upheld a complaint from Stuart’s father Terry in 2007 over the failure to test blood on the boxer shorts, towel and bathrobe. Essex Police would not say this week when the last forensic review was carried out or if it still has all of the 98 items.

BODY TEMPERATURE

Stuart’s temperature was 29.3C at 6.28am at the hospital. That is 7.7C below a normal body temperature of 37C. The pool temperature was about 23C at about 12.30pm the following day.

It would have been cooler in the early hours. A body in air cools at 0.75-1C an hour in ordinary UK daytime temperatures. In cold water it would be quicker. The low temperature of Stuart’s body suggests he had been in the pool a considerable time before the ambulance was called at 5.48am.

The kitchen in Barrymore’s former home(Image: Essex Police/Channel 4)

According to Kenney later, he and Merritt were in Barrymore’s bedroom at 3.30am. Twenty minutes later, Kenney said that Barrymore came in and changed into shorts and said he was going to the Jacuzzi. He said five minutes later, the entertainer returned saying that Stuart’s body was floating in the swimming pool.

Barrymore later claimed, in a statement, that he found Stuart “between 4.30am and 4.45am”, between 30 and 45 minutes later than the time Kenney recalls. An ambulance is called to the house by Merritt at 5.46am.

THE INVESTIGATIONS

In June 2001, Kenney and Merritt were arrested on suspicion of murder, but no charges were brought against them, or anyone else. Barrymore was cautioned for possession of cannabis. A September 2002 inquest into Stuart’s death ended inconclusively, with an open verdict.

The pair were arrested again, this time with Barrymore, on suspicion of murder and rape in 2007 but were later released without charge. All deny involvement in Stuart’s death. An unnamed man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2021 but was again released without charge.

Terry Lubbock battled for years for justice for his son(Image: PA)

Stuart’s father Terry died a few weeks later aged 76 without knowing what happened to his son. He told the Mirror a month earlier: “I know somebody at that party inflicted those injuries on my Stuart.”

When told Kevin wants a full forensic investigation, an Essex Police spokesperson said: “We have never given up on finding out exactly what happened to Stuart, and we will continue to act on any new information to assist us in our pursuit of justice for him and for his family and friends.

“As we have said repeatedly over the last two decades, nine people were at that party. We know that not everyone was responsible for what happened, but someone was.

“Anyone with information about Stuart’s death can always contact us, whether directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

“What we can say is that full reviews are conducted periodically as per force policy.”