Michael Barrymore Puns

Developments in infamous UK gay pool-party death scandal: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/17/man-arrested-over-stuart-lubbock-death-at-michael-barrymore-home

Background

In the 80s to mid 90s, Michael Barrymore was everywhere on British TV, presenting shows such as Kids Say The Funniest Things, Strike it Lucky and headlining The Royal Variety Show. He was regularly voted Britain's Favourite Entertainer and had his own show Barrymore on ITV, one of Britain's biggest TV channels.

He married in the 70s to another Entertainer, Cheryl Cocklin, who later became his manager. Barrymore reportedly paid off his own mother who had threatened to leak a story to the newspapers about an 18 month affair with another man just before they married.

During the 90s, Barrymore began to suffer from alcoholism and his marriage with Cheryl began to suffer as she was refused to believe he was an alcoholic. In 1995, Barrymore came out as gay after appearing on stage with a drag queen at a pub and crooning "start spreading the news, I'm gay today." Cheryl claimed this was the first she knew of his sexuality and had no suspicions during the marriage. They later split.

March 31st 2001

On March 31st, Stuart Lubbock, a 31 year old father of 2, met Barrymore and friends at a local nightclub in Essex, England. It was not believed that Stuart was gay. They all later returned to Barrymores home in Roydon, Essex to continue the party. The taxi driver who took them to his home, reported that Barrymore was "hammered" and in no fit state to entertain. Nine people attended the party at Barrymores property, a bunaglo.

At around 6am, a partygoer rang 999 reporting that a man was dead in the pool. They had fished him out but were pretty certain he was dead. Stuart Lubbock was declared dead around 8am.

Afterwards

The initial cause of death was listed as drowning, with Stuart Lubbock having a large amount of cocaine, MDMA and alcohol in his system. However, the post mortem also showed that Stuart had suffered severe anal injuries with his anus dilated, its margin bruised and lacerations at both the 6 o clock and 12 o clock positions.

Aware of the intense media scrutiny of the case, Essex police apoinited a new pathologist who disagreed with it being a classic drowning and believed that Stuart had been raped before his death, which was most likely the result of a heart attack. The pathologist believed that due to the severity of Stuarts injuries that there was no way they could have been the result of consensual sex.

Most media reporting of the case viewed it as death by misadventure at a gay orgy hosted

There were 4 other males at the party that night. The victim had major internal traumas and it is likely that there has been a pact of silence since that night meaning no charges. The victims father is now terminally ill with cancer and had been campaigning since the death of his son. link to news. I really hope justice is served.