Double killer Hazel’s home will be sold to recoverassets

DOUBLE killer Hazel Stewart’s family home is to be sold to settle a legal action over benefits inherited from her murdered first husband, it has emerged.

The National Crime Agency issued High Court proceedings in a bid to recover assets and police pension funds gained following the death of Constable Trevor Buchanan.

Her second husband, David Stewart, has nine months to sell the house outside Coleraine, Co Londonderry, before the agency can step in to complete the process. It is entitled to two-thirds of the price fetched under terms agreed with the couple.

Mr Stewart, himself a retired police superintendent, claimed the outcome means his wife’s son and daughter, Andrew and Lisa, will lose their family home and have their rightful inheritance “seized by the State”.

In an emotional address he told the court: “Not one penny will come from Trevor Buchanan to his children.”

Hazel Stewart (55) is serving a minimum 18-year sentence for murdering Mr Buchanan (32) and Lesley Howell (31), the wife of her ex-lover Colin Howell. The victims were found together in a fume-filled garage in Castlerock in May 1991.

Detectives originally believed they had died in a suicide pact after discovering their partners were having an affair.

Nearly two decades passed beSchool teacher still protests she fore dentist Howell (58) suddenly is innocent of murder. confessed to both killings. He Efforts to recover money from pleaded guilty to the murders in her were brought under proceeds 2010 and was ordered to serve at of crime legislation. least 21 years behind bars. Her second husband was a

Howell also implicated his formerloverintheplotandgaveevjoint respondent despite facing no allegations of any wrongdoidence against her at her trial. ing whatsoever, with the agency

In March 2011 she was unanacknowledging he is “entirely imously convicted of both killblameless”. ings by a jury at Coleraine Crown The case centred on Hazel Court. Stewart’s assets, now tied up in

Since then she has failed in the couple’s family home. a series of attempts to have the Both have consented to the verdicts overturned. recovery order, which is now

Backed by her children and expected to be finalised next husband, the former Sunday week, the court heard.

Frank O’Donoghue QC, for the agency, said Mr Stewart has a nine-month “period of grace” to sell the house.

Hazel Stewart’s barrister Eugene McKenna told Mrs Justice Keegan she also agreed to the resolution.

“The position of my client is that as long as the second defendant (her husband) is happy, she is happy,” he said.

“That has been her approach throughout.”

Despite his consent, Mr Stewart expressed concerns over the deadline and the price for his home.

“Colin Howell’s property sold well below its market value and took a long time to sell,” he told the court.

“This house may be the same, I would ask the court to consider whether this nine months has to be a cliff edge.”

He suggested a possible alternative arrangement of paying money to buy out the agency’s interest — an option its representatives indicated could still be explored.

Mr Stewart told the court his family’s position remains that his wife is not guilty of the murders, with their distress exacerbated by her continued imprisonment.

He added: “Now Lisa and Andrew will lose their rightful inheritance and family home.”

Responding to his comments, Mr O’Donoghue said: “Some of the points he’s made the NCA would disagree with.”

Hazel Stewart is serving a minimum of 18 years in prison for two murders