Coleraine woman jailed for double murder in cover-up

Hazel Stewart, who previously worked as a Sunday school teacher in Coleraine, was found guilty of two murders and received a sentence of at least 18 years in prison. The court determined that the 48-year-old woman was involved in the killings of her policeman husband and her former lover's wife, orchestrated to resemble a suicide pact. In the past, Stewart had received a life sentence after being convicted of conspiring with dentist Colin Howell to poison their respective spouses, Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan, in 1991. The murders took place using carbon monoxide emissions from Howell's car, with the scene staged to look like a double suicide at Castlerock, County Derry, in May of that year. Howell is currently serving a 21-year prison term after admitting guilt. The jury concluded that Stewart knew about the murder plan, aided her husband by administering drugs to him, and permitted Howell to enter her home. Authorities are now preparing to review the initial police investigation, particularly focusing on photographs of children discovered at Lesley Howell's death scene. Throughout the proceedings, Hazel Stewart maintained a stoic demeanor as she was sentenced by Justice Anthony Hart to serve a minimum of 18 years. She is a mother of two children.