THE family of murder victim Lesley Howell has said there is “no joy” after double killer Hazel Stewart failed in a bid to have her prison sentence reduced.
In a statement, the family said they are continuing to live with a life sentence as they deal with Stewart’s “ongoing attempt to evade justice”.
Stewart, 62, was refused leave at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday to appeal against the length of her sentence for killing her policeman husband and the wife of her former lover.
She is serving a minimum 18 years behind bars for the murders of Constable Trevor Buchanan, 32, and 31-year-old Lesley Howell in 1991.
Ms Howell’s daughter, Dr Lauren Bradford-Clarke, watched the court proceedings via videolink.
A statement from the family said: “We’re relieved that this stage of the legal process has concluded, but there is no joy. No celebration.
“The Court of Appeal’s decision today, upholding all previous rulings, confirms what we’ve known all along.
“We’ve always maintained our confidence in the original judgment and the overwhelming weight of expert opinion supporting our case.”
The statement added: “While this decision offers some reassurance, we recognise that there’s no true end or closure.
“This is a life sentence, and we must continue to live with the pain caused by Hazel’s ongoing attempt to evade justice.
“Nothing will bring our mum back. We have no appeals. No paroles. No release date.
“The cycle of appeal after appeal shows Hazel’s complete lack of remorse and her refusal to take responsibility for her actions.
‘STRESS AND UPSET’
“My beautiful mum’s memory will not be shadowed by this, and we will continue to love and honour the person she was.”
Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan told the court that Stewart’s latest attempted appeal would have caused “stress and upset” to the families of those she killed.
Stewart’s lawyer described the ruling as disappointing, but said it “doesn’t end the quest to highlight that she was a victim of coercive control”.
Both victims were found in a fume-filled garage in Castlerock, Co Derry, in May 1991.
DRUGGED AND MURDERED
Police originally believed they had died in a suicide pact, after discovering that their partners were having an extra-marital affair.
Instead, they had been drugged and murdered and their bodies arranged to make it look as though they had taken their own lives.
Nearly two decades passed before dentist Howell, 65, confessed to both killings.
He implicated Stewart and she was ordered to serve at least 18 years at her trial in 2011.
LAUNCHED APPEAL
Stewart launched her appeal against the length of her sentence on the basis of fresh psychiatric evidence that suggested she was suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the murders and had been coercively controlled by Howell.
Stewart, wearing a pale blue T-shirt and a cross necklace, watched the court of appeal ruling via a videolink from Hydebank Prison.
Judge Keegan said the fresh psychiatric evidence had been presented “well after the event” and “places reliance on prison records to contradict the case made by all other experts”.
She said: “Even if there were any traction in the points now made, which we do not find, the trial judge also made allowance for Howell’s control in the sentence he passed.
‘CRUELLEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES’
“No injustice arises in refusing to reopen this long-concluded appeal on these facts.”
The Chief Justice added: “We record this was a double murder of spouses in the cruellest of circumstances.
“Our overall view is that the sentence was neither wrong nor manifestly excessive.
“We refuse leave to admit the new evidence or to extend time as we are not convinced the new evidence establishes a valid ground of appeal.
‘NEED FOR FINALITY’
“We are similarly not convinced that a fulsome enough explanation why this evidence was not produced earlier has been provided.
“In reaching our conclusion we reiterate the need for finality in criminal proceedings, we must deduce from this appeal that the applicant does not fully appreciate that.
“What must be self-evident is the stress and upset this latest appeal attempt will have caused to the families of the deceased.”
She added that the original trial judge had been cited on the issue of Howell’s control of Stewart and he altered her sentence accordingly.
