Barrymore in cocaine sensation

Michael Barrymore forced cocaine into the mouth of the man later found dead in his swimming pool, it was alleged today.

The entertainer was in court for the first time to hear claims that he poured the drug in his kitchen and dipped his finger into it, before trying to rub it on the gums of Stuart Lubbock, who was later found dead having been subjected to a serious sexual assault.

The 50-year-old star sat with his hands clasped in front of him as the inquest in Epping heard the first evidence of what happened at the drink and drug-fuelled party which ended in Mr Lubbock's death.

Later, Barrymore used his legal right to refuse to answer the coroner's questions about drugs but denied rubbing cocaine into Mr Lubbock's gums.

Justin Merritt, who was arrested on suspicion of Mr Lubbock's murder but later released, and his sister Kyley told the inquest they were in the kitchen when the "drug-forcing" incident happened.

Ms Merritt, who broke down and had to be coaxed through her evidence, told how Barrymore, whom she referred to by his real name Michael Parker, was acting as host and pouring drinks for people. "I saw Mr Parker tip some cocaine out in the kitchen. When Mr Parker offered it to Stuart he said, 'No'. He put some cocaine on his own finger and put his finger into Mr Lubbock's mouth. Mr Lubbock said 'no' and pulled away."

Mr Merritt said: "I saw Mr Parker rub white powder in Stuart's gums. I remember Stuart ducking away, he backed away. I can't remember what he said."

He said that, apart from that incident, he did not see Mr Lubbock taking drugs that evening but he did see him drinking. Mr Merritt said he spent time in the jacuzzi with another man and at one stage Mr Lubbock joined them.

"He was ducking under the water and diving about, having a good time. He then went into the pool and was dive bombing."

The meat factory supervisor was later found floating in the open-air pool at Barrymore's £2 million home at Roydon, Essex, in March last year. The inquest heard he had been seriously sexually assaulted shortly before he died and would have suffered excruciating pain from anal injuries.

Mr Merritt said he had been chatting in a bedroom for half an hour when Barrymore came in. "He said there was a geezer floating in the pool."

Outside, Mr Lubbock was being given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Mr Merritt was asked by the coroner if he could explain how Mr Lubbock came by the serious sexual injuries he suffered.

"He was the happiest person there," he said. "He was jumping around, dancing and mucking about. He was not in any discomfort as if anyone had touched him or messed with him."

Cross-examined, Ms Merritt also said she saw no assault on Mr Lubbock, neither did she hear him cry out in pain nor see him walking around as if he was in discomfort.

Professor Robert Forrest, a toxicologist, said that Mr Lubbock had drunk the equivalent of nine pints of beer that night. In addition, his body contained traces of cocaine, possibly taken in the 90 minutes before death, and he also had a high level of ecstasy in his body. Professor Forrest was asked by Essex and Thurrock Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray what the effects of the drugs and alcohol would have been had he been subjected to an assault.

"I've no doubt that degree of intoxication could very much restrict the ability of anyone to defend themselves," said Professor Forrest.

Asked if the drugs and alcohol would have dulled the pain of any attack, he said: "I would agree with that."

When Barrymore took the witness stand this afternoon, he promptly refused to answer questions about drugs.

He told the court how he fled his home after Mr Lubbock was found floating in his pool. "It was the wrong thing to do," said Barrymore. "I got myself into a complete state. It was like your worst dream come true, to be quite honest."

The coroner asked him: "Some people might think you had something to hide."

Barrymore replied drily: "I am sure they do."

Barrymore said the last time he saw Mr Lubbock alive he was walking towards his jacuzzi. The next time he saw him he was in the pool.

"I looked down and I saw Stuart floating or rather he seemed to be lying on the bottom of the pool face up. I cannot swim and I screamed: 'God, there is someone in the pool'."

He told how, as people tried to resuscitate Lubbock, he fled the house. "It wasn't the right thing to do, I was panicking. I started to have a panic attack," he said.

The coroner asked Barrymore what she described as the "crucial question".

"There ends up in your pool a young man who had previously been a fit young man with significant levels of alcohol and drugs in his system and a serious anal injury.

"Can you assist me? Can you offer any explanation as to how this happened in your house?"

Barrymore replied: "There's absolutely no explanation as to how he suffered that injury at the house." He said there were no traces of blood at his home and Mr Lubbock had been enjoying himself.

"There were no screams from the 'house of horror' as the press reported it," he said. "If any of this took place it could not have taken place at my house. There is absolutely no way."

Asked by the coroner if he had tried to give Mr Lubbock cocaine, Barrymore replied: "I am not prepared to answer that question." Asked if he had seen Mr Lubbock taking drugs at his home, he gave an identical reply.

The coroner asked Michael Mansfield QC, representing Barrymore if he was "availing himself of Rule 22", which entitles a witness at an inquest to refuse to answer incriminating questions, Mr Mansfield said he was.

Barrymore told how he had been out with his family that afternoon and had gone on to the Millennium nightclub where he met Mr Lubbock "to cheer myself up. I wasn't unhappy, I just wanted to carry on the mood. I wasn't feeling that great. I was not long out of divorce and my mum wasn't well - all personal matters. By that time I had had a fair bit to drink."

He told how he met "a thousand or so" people in the club and signed autographs. He admitted he was drunk as he got into a cab with people he didn't know. "I am an alcoholic at home - a dry one at the moment - I just went along with it," he said.

He said it was a completely impromptu party and, once back in his home, he invited people to help themselves to drinks and showed them how to work the sound system.

After being pressed repeatedly on whether he rubbed cocaine on to Mr Lubbock's gums, Barrymore eventually gave a flat denial.

"No, it was not me," he said. The inquest continues.