Michael Barrymore could bank millions of pounds after successfully winning the right to claim “substantial compensation damages” from Essex Police after his 2007 arrest.
The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate, real name Michael Parker, 65, was a hugely popular entertainer at the height of his career, having hosted numerous television programmes including My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Strike It Lucky among others, throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.
But his star fell following the death of 31-year-old Stuart Lubbock who was found motionless in the pool of Barrymore’s home in 2001, at what was reported to be a drug-fuelled sex party.
All charges were initially dropped when it came to court but Michael, who was once one of the highest-paid performers on TV, was arrested on suspicion of serious sexual assault and murder six years later in 2007, following a complaint about aspects of the police enquiry lodged in December 2006 by Stuart’s father Terry Lubbock.
At the time, Michael “categorically denied” the allegations and he was not charged with any offence, before he began the process of suing Essex Police in July 2015.
On Friday morning, it was announced Micheal should be paid compensation by the police, and he believes his loss of earnings and damage to his reputation following his arrest amounts to more than £2.4million.
A High Court judge said the broadcaster should be handed “more than nominal” damages.
Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said that the Chief Constable of Essex Police “has failed to prove that, if not arrested unlawfully as he was, Mr Parker (Barrymore) could and would have been arrested lawfully”.
Stuart Lubbock was ruled to have drowned at the party at Barrymore’s house where drugs and alcohol had been used.
A post mortem found that Lubbock had also suffered serious anal injuries.
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