Murder accused ‘grinned’ – claim

The fiance of children’s author Helen Bailey “grinned” at police officers as they attempted to question him about her sudden disappearance, a court has heard.

Ian Stewart, 56, of Baldock Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, is accused of drugging and killing the Electra Brown writer last year.

In the months after she vanished, the defendant was said to have followed police “everywhere” as they scoured the property where her body lay hidden.

It was claimed he told detectives he “couldn’t be bothered” to answer further questions and became increasingly hostile.

Jurors in his trial at St Albans Crown Court were also told of the harrowing moment 51-year-old Ms Bailey’s body was eventually found in a cesspit deep below her home three months later.

Stewart denies the charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

DC Hollie Daines said: “He snapped at me when I pushed to do the interview. He felt uneasy with our presence, he very rarely made eye contact.

“At one point I found it particularly odd that after a conversation I had with him, he appeared to turn his head to the side and looked at us and grinned.”

Between Ms Bailey’s disappearance and an initial police search of the home on April 15 2016, a Jeep had been moved from the driveway and parked over the septic tank’s hatch, the court was told.

As they carried out further searches of Ms Bailey’s office, a passport was found.

Sgt Nicole Goodyear said: “His whole demeanour changed, the colour changed on his face – he was very shocked.”

“He appeared to turn his head and looked at us and grinned”