The 8 unanswered questions surrounding the Barrymore pool death mystery – including what happened in the ‘missing hour’
IT was the mystery that shocked the nation, turning Michael Barrymore's swanky mansion into a grisly crime scene when Stuart Lubbock was found dead in an apparent swimming pool accident.
But did Lubbock have severe internal injuries? And did they find haemorrhages on his face?
Factory supervisor Lubbock, 31, was found dead by the side of the pool at Barrymore's mansion in Roydon, Essex, in the early hours of March 31, 2001.
While it was initially claimed during the 999 call that he had "drowned" in the pool following a drug-fuelled party at the 67-year-old entertainer's home, pathologists later found he had suffered serious internal injuries that suggested he could have been sexually assaulted.
Now police have sensationally confirmed they're investigating a possible "cover-up" almost two decades later and will be looking at all eight of the people who were at Barrymore's mansion at the time of Lubbock's death - including the star himself.
Barrymore, his ex-lover Jonathan Kenney, and dustman Justin Merritt were all previously arrested over the death before being released without charge. Other guests there at the time were Justin’s sister Kylie and chef James Futers, plus hangers-on Simon Shaw, Claire Jones, then 17, and Kelly Campbell.
Now, as police dig back into the old case, we look at the eight major questions that need to be answered.
1. Was Lubbock assaulted?
Drugs and alcohol were found in Lubbock's system when he died and all the guests at the party claimed he must have accidentally drowned after wandering outside.
However, pathologists examining Lubbock's body later found severe internal injuries, suggesting he may have been sexually assaulted.
While pathologists were unable to state exactly what was used in the alleged sexual assault of Lubbock, police confirmed at the time it was likely a hard object.
Barrymore has slammed the allegations of a possible sexual assault happening at his home from the outset - and instead believes Lubbock sustained the injuries after he was taken to hospital.
since the death, Barrymore told The Guardian in 2002 that he had a strong testimony from a nurse who helped attempt to revive Lubbock in the hospital.
Stuart Nairn, the duty nurse working at the time, claimed that medics had to warm Lubbock's body up in an attempt to revive him - resulting in a rectal thermometer being inserted 14 times.
Nairn described in a witness statement how he saw no evidence of bruising on injury at the time - despite getting a good view of the area for each of the thermometer insertions.
"I saw nothing unusual or untoward about it," Nairn said in the witness statement, according to The Guardian.
"It was completely normal. If it had been dilated and significantly bruised I am sure that I would have noticed. Moreover, I would have reported this to the doctor."
Barrymore went on to say pathologists only noticed the injuries around eight hours later, after the body had been transferred to the mortuary.
While Barrymore stated he wasn't sure exactly how the injuries occurred, he felt sure they happened after Lubbock was transferred there.
2. What caused Lubbock's facial haemorrhages?
The internal injuries weren't the only unexplained markings on Lubbock's body.
Pathologists also at the time that Lubbock had haemorrhages (small broken blood vessels) on his face, and claimed one possible explanation could be that he was "forcibly restrained" or squeezed round the neck.
"This could have been affected by obstruction of the mouth and nose, such as by suffocation, if the face had been compressed against bedding," pathologists said, according to the Mail.
"The body could then have been put into the pool, perhaps either in an attempt to 'revive' the deceased or make the death appear as a simple case of accidental drowning."
They claimed the haemorrhages on his face suggested "mechanical asphyxia" could have been a possible cause of death.
An inquest ultimately ruled the cause of death was "unascertainable" however, due to there being no solid witness evidence.
Barrymore has always maintained the death was accidental.
"The truth is there is no witness, or forensic evidence... which in any way supports the theory that he was attacked at my house," he wrote in his autobiography Awight Now previously.
No one has ever been charged in relation to Lubbock's death.
3. What happened to the missing thermometer and shed handle?
A swimming pool thermometer from the hot tub at Barrymore's home went missing following Lubbock's death, along with a broken shed handle, which was reportedly seen by officers.
Neither of the items were found in any bins at the property in Roydon and police have since claimed that either of them could have been used in a possible sex assault on the victim.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed in a report in 2009 that neither object was seized or forensically tested.
IPCC Commissioner David Petch said at the time: "We will probably never know whether the missing thermometer and door handle were evidentially important, but not securing these items was a failure and leaves questions unanswered."
4. Was the drowning faked?
Lubbock's father Terry and his solicitor Tony Bennett have previously claimed in a book that Lubbock may never have been in the pool at all.
They sensationally alleged that Lubbock's body may have been laid out by the side of the pool, before water was thrown over it, to make it look like he had drowned and was subsequently pulled out of the water.
The claim was never confirmed as a possibility by police.
5. What happened in the 'missing hour'?
According to multiple reports, Barrymore told police he found the body between 4.30am and 4.45am, with neighbours reporting hearing screams at around 5am.
However, an ambulance wasn't called until 5.46am.
While guests reported seeing Barrymore changing into a pair of shorts shortly before heading down to go to the jacuzzi - and subsequently alerting everyone of the body - questions have been raised over why the ambulance call was so long after neighbours' reports of screaming.
6. Did someone attempt to 'clean up' the scene?
Ahead of a Channel 4 documentary on the case this week, investigators have been looking into the possibility Lubbock's death was "covered up".
A 2002 inquest heard that Barrymore’s then-PA Michael Browne was called to the house - a clue that DCI Stephen Jennings delves into further on camera.
He has claimed that Browne was seen moving things around the home, after police failed to completely close it off.
DCI Stephen Jennings says on camera: "Throughout the investigation there have been suggestions there was a cover up. Michael Browne, who was Michael Barrymore’s PA at the time, was wrongfully allowed back into the scene where he was seen to be tidying up some items after we’d managed to photograph the scene and that those items have gone missing and we’d never seized them."
Meanwhile, party guest Claire Jones previously told police she saw Barrymore rummaging through drawers and changing his clothes before police arrived, according to the Mail.
She also claimed he had a "bundle of material" under his arm when she saw him leaving the house, before police arrived.
Barrymore has always denied any involvement and told police he fled the scene before they arrived because he "felt sick" and "panicked" after seeing the body.
7. Could Barrymore swim?
Barrymore claimed at the time of the original police investigation that he did not dive into his swimming pool to try and rescue Lubbock because he couldn't swim.
However, the entertainer's ex wife Cheryl later branded the claim false and said he had always been a competent swimmer.
She has since passed away.
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Her claim was supported by Barrymore's former drugs counsellor David Benson in 2002 who told GMTV at the time that he had seen Barrymore swimming on a previous visit to his home.
8. Were Lubbock's clothes changed?
While pathologists concluded that Lubbock would have bled heavily after suffering the injuries he was found to have, only a small amount of blood was found on his clothing when he died - on the fly of his boxer shorts.
It prompted speculation that he could have been changed into fresh clothes following his death - although that claim has never been proven.
While no charges were brought against any of the people present at the mansion at the time of Lubbock's death - including Barrymore - the new documentary and police investigation will now attempt to solve some of these major unanswered mysteries hanging over the case.