Fiance claims author was kidnapped by tattooed thug
HELEN Bailey’s fiance claimed yesterday that a mystery tattooed man kidnapped the author and told him: ‘If you tell anyone, you won’t see her again.’
Ian Stewart, 56, told a court that he was punched to the floor by a burly tattooed man called Nick when he answered his front door.
He claims Nick told him: ‘Helen is helping us solve a problem – don’t tell anyone where Helen is.’
Giving evidence at St Albans Crown Court, Stewart – who denies murdering Miss Bailey – said: ‘It was the way he said it, but I did believe him. I thought they might harm Helen in some way.
‘I was shocked and confused, this was so odd. He had stressed about being normal. I don’t know what normal was supposed to be. I didn’t involve the police or Helen’s family, I felt I had to do what he said.’
Earlier in his testimony, Stewart denied drugging Miss Bailey with sleeping tablets, saying the drowsiness she displayed was caused by the onset of the menopause.
He also claimed that an oliveskinned man with sunken cheeks called Joe tried to intimidate his fiancee at their home in Royston, Hertfordshire, on April 11 last year.
Joe, who was said to be Nick’s accomplice, demanded to see documents relating to the business affairs of Miss Bailey’s late husband John Sinfield, Stewart said.
He told the jury: ‘We had a visitor at the doorbell, it was Joe. I was stood behind Helen. He said, “have you remembered anything or found anything about my business?”
‘Helen said, “no, I never knew any- thing of what you did, leave me alone”. He then whispered to Helen and said, “just think about it,” and turned round and went.
‘I asked Helen what that meant. She said she didn’t know and that Joe was an idiot.’
During his second day on the witness stand, Stewart said Nick and Joe had been harassing the couple at their home for weeks.
Earlier, the computer software engineer denied drugging Miss Bailey with sleeping tablets called Zopiclone that he had been prescribed by his GP months before she died.
Defence barrister Simon Russell Flint QC asked him: ‘Had you fed her so many tablets that she was suffering with [menopausal symptoms], or was it something she had for a while?’
Stewart said Miss Bailey – who penned the Electra Brown and Daisy Davenport novels for young teenagers – had been suffering from the effects of the menopause ‘for a while’.
The prosecution say that on April 11, Stewart smothered his fiancee before hiding her body in a cesspit at their £1.5million home so he could inherit her £4million fortune.
Stewart is charged with murder, three counts of perverting the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and fraud. He denies all the charges. The trial continues.
‘I didn’t involve the police’