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23
April 2006
Review
of Michael Barrymore
Pool
Death
Police
are reviewing the death
of a 31-year-old man
whose body was found in
a swimming pool at the
home of TV entertainer
Michael
Barrymore.
Stuart
Lubbock, a butcher from
Harlow, Essex, was found
dead in March 2001
following a party in
Roydon,
Essex.
An
open verdict was
recorded at an inquest
and no-one has been
charged in connection
with the
death.
In
a statement, Mr
Barrymore, 53, said he
welcomed the news and
would do all he could to
help police.
The
move was announced on
Wednesday. Police said
it was standard practice
to regularly review
unexplained
deaths.
The
entertainer accepted a
police caution for drug
offences as a result of
a lengthy police inquiry
into Mr Lubbock's
death.
A
police spokeswoman said
it was possible officers
would interview Mr
Barrymore and other
people who were at the
party at the star's home
in Roydon - but added
the inquiry was at an
early stage.
"We
have begun a routine
review of the inquiry
and that is at a very
early stage. A team of
officers will look at
the file and everything
that has happened
since," she
said.
A
team from the force's
Investigative Review
Team, which is made up
of former officers, will
carry out the inquiry.
An earlier
re-examination of the
case was completed in
2003.
In
February, a former
solicitor's attempt to
launch a private
prosecution against Mr
Barrymore alleging drug
misuse, disorderly
behaviour and assault
was blocked.
A
district judge said
there was insufficient
evidence offered to a
private hearing at a
magistrates' court in
Southend,
Essex.
Mr
Lubbock's father Terry,
also of Harlow, welcomed
the review and said he
would continue to "fight
for justice" for his
son.
"There
were at least eight
people present on the
night he died and
somebody knows why he
died and what happened
to him," he
said.
"All
I want to know is the
truth about what
happened to my son and
why he died and I would
urge someone to have the
courage to come forward
and tell the
truth."
Through
his publicist Tony
Cowell, Mr Barrymore
said he supported the
review of the
investigation.
"I
welcome the news that
the case is to be
reviewed. I have always
maintained that I would
do all I can to help
both the police and the
Lubbock family. I also
told Terry Lubbock, when
I met with him earlier
this year, that I would
do anything to help him
bring this case to an
end."
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