Perjury allegation in Barrymore case
The coroner in the Michael Barrymore inquest has referred an allegation of perjury to the police for investigation in the case.
Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray referred the allegation following the inquest on Stuart Lubbock, Essex police said.
The decision follows mounting pressure on the BBC not to publish the book, called Running Away from Myself, which was planned to hit the shelves next month.
Concerns over the publication followed the inquest into Mr Lubbock’s death in Epping inquest last week.
The inquest heard that Mr Lubbock’s body contained high levels of alcohol and drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, and had injuries which may have resulted from a serious sexual assault.
An open verdict was recorded after experts could not agree on the exact cause of death and witnesses at the “impromptu” party at the star’s home in Roydon, Essex, on March 31 last year failed to shed any light on what happened.
BBC Worldwide commissioned 50-year-old Barrymore to write the book in September 2000 in a reported £500,000 deal.
A spokeswoman today refused to comment on what will now happen to any funds advanced to Barrymore, adding the whole case was “still under review”.
The full statement read: “BBC Worldwide today announced that it will postpone indefinitely publication of Michael Barrymore’s autobiography.
“The decision was taken this morning by BBC Worldwide’s Chief Executive Rupert Gavin, who is on business in the US, in consultation with BBC Director General Greg Dyke.
“BBC Worldwide acquired the rights to the book two years ago as part of their strand of publishing celebrity autobiographies. An advance was paid to Mr Barrymore at the time.
“A decision about whether the book will ever be published will be taken at a stage when reported legal issues, including those surrounding the inquest in to the death of Stuart Lubbock, have been clarified.”
