The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Author killer ‘will die in jail’
Court: Police to probe death of first wife of man who killed his writer fiancee
Detectives are to investigate the sudden death of Ian Stewart’s first wife after he was convicted of murdering his fiancee, children’s author Helen Bailey.
The 56-year-old, who will likely “end his days behind bars”, smothered the sedated Electra Brown writer and dragged her body into a cesspit last year.
She was found in the foetid burial site beneath their garage three months after she abruptly disappeared in April last year.
Dead at her side was her pet dachshund Boris.
Stewart was convicted of the “despicable” killing, fuelled by greed for his brideto-be’s riches, in a unanimous verdict at St Albans Crown Court.
Simon Russell Flint, defending, said during his mitigation: “It has to be acknowledged that, as the jury’s verdict reflects, he has burdened both the family of Helen Bailey and his own family with incalculable loss, a lifetime of misery, sorrow and suffering and he will have a long time to reflect on the consequences of those actions.
“The likelihood is, given his state of health, the sentence has a like effect of a whole-life order.
“There is every prospect and likelihood Mr Stewart will end his days behind bars.”
Diane Stewart, an epileptic who was mother to his two sons Jamie and Oliver, was found dead in the couple’s garden in June 2010.
An inquest at the time concluded she died of natural causes from a “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy” and was cremated.
Detective Chief Inspector Jerome Kent, who helped secure Stewart’s conviction, said: “You will not be surprised that police investigating Ian Stewart for the murder of Helen Bailey would consider if there are any similar links to the death of his wife. first “There is not a murder investigation into Diane Stewart,thereisare-exam- ination of a sudden, unex- pecteddeath.Itisonlyright that I would look back.”