Most Ridiculous Headline Title For A While...

[Tooj 17]

THIS WEEK we reveal the damning evidence in a sensational new book that has forced police to reopen their investigation into the Michael Barrymore pool death mystery.

 

It exposes TEN sinister contradictions in evidence given by the star and five guests at the drug-fuelled party where Stuart Lubbock died.

 

And the authors — Stuart's father Terry and the Lubbock family lawyer Tony Bennett — claim their findings SHATTER Barrymore's claim that the 31-year-old accidentally drowned in the pool at his mansion.

 

Their book — to be published next month — was inspired by a News of the World investigation that proved one of the key witnesses, Kylie Merritt, had lied at the inquest.

 

"We are convinced our dossier proves there was a cover-up over Stuart's death," said Bennett.

 

After a confidential meeting with Detective Superintendent Gareth Wilson, who is leading the new investigation, Bennett revealed the ten vital clues to what happened in the early hours of March 31, 2001.

 

All that is known for certain is that Stuart was found dead next to Barrymore's pool by paramedics called to the mansion in Roydon, Essex, at 5.46am.

 

He had severe anal injuries, which gay Barrymore, 54, claims must have happened at the hospital after death.

 

Apart from the star, other key witnesses at the party included Barrymore's then lover, former drag queen Jonathan Kenney, unemployed dustman Justin Merritt and his sister Kylie, chef James Futers and his friend Simon Shaw.

 

Merritt and Kenney were arrested on suspicion of murder, but never charged.

 

An open verdict was recorded at the inquest — but now the Lubbock family's book aims to throw the mystery back into the spotlight with these ten vital clues:

 

# CLUE 1: In their statements Kenney, now 36, and 31-year-old Merritt claimed they went for a Jacuzzi with Lubbock before leaving him behind and returning to the party TOGETHER. Yet Merritt said he last saw him alive in the pool — while Kenney said he was still in the Jacuzzi when he left him.

 

# CLUE 2: Merritt describes Lubbock in his last hours as hyperactive, "dive-bombing" and swimming up and down the pool "like an electric eel". Why then did Kenney claim he and Merritt left Stuart "slumped" and "in a stupor" in the Jacuzzi?

 

# CLUE 3: Barrymore changed his story THREE times. First he told police he found the body and saw Kenney pull him from the water. Then he claimed he saw Shaw and Futers jump into the pool to try to rescue Lubbock. Then he confessed at the inquest he didn't see them go in the water.

 

# CLUE 4: Barrymore first told police he found Lubbock "floating" in the pool. He then suddenly changed his description to the baffling "floating at the bottom of the pool" AFTER Futers and Shaw told police they found the body sunk on the pool floor.

 

# CLUE 5: Barrymore says he saw Stuart floating FACE UP and stared into his eyes. Yet Kenney told police he found Stuart in the pool floating FACE DOWN.

 

# CLUE 6: When Barrymore sounded the alarm, shouting, ‘Help, someone is drowning', party guests rushed out onto the patio and found Lubbock already laid out on the pool side. In the seconds it took for them to get there, the Lubbock family's legal team claims there would have been no time to pull a 12-stone body out of the deep end.

 

# CLUE 7: Futers said he and Shaw were walking down DIFFERENT sides of the pool before they spotted Lubbock. Shaw said they walked together down the SAME side of the pool.

 

# CLUE 8: Shaw said he dived into the pool to pull Lubbock to the surface — but astonishingly could not even remember who had helped him pull the body out of the water.

 

# CLUE 9: Futers claimed he helped Shaw to get Lubbock out of the water. But Kenney originally told police that it was HIM and Kylie Merritt who pulled the body from the pool.

 

# CLUE 10: Barrymore has always insisted Lubbock accidentally drowned in his pool — but vital pathologists' evidence suggests he may never have been in the water.

 

Professor Jack Crane and Dr Ian Calder said the typical findings of drowning were NOT present in Lubbock's lungs.

 

And Dr Crane said of blood spots (pectechiae) on his face: "I cannot think of one drowning where I have seen petechiael haemorrhages.

 

"They may be an indication of some form of asphyxial process."

 

The Lubbock book also highlights ‘the missing hour-and-a-half'—the crucial time between 4.15am, when Lubbock was last seen in the Jacuzzi with Kenney and Merritt—and the ambulance being called at 5.46am. In the new investigation, detectives are looking at claims that this time was used to clean up the scene.

 

Last night lawyer Bennett said: "After the News of the World revealed Kylie Merritt had lied to the inquest, we started a seven-month analysis of all the witness statements.

 

"The book is the result — and after sending our findings to Essex Police they decided to reopen the investigation. We are determined to get justice for Stuart."

[peasepud 59]

well, Its not worth buying that book, they've given the ending away.