Daughter considering meeting mother’s killer

The daughter of Lesley Howell has said she has made initial inquiries about possibly meeting her mother’s killer to discuss her role in the murder.

It comes as Hazel Stewart failed in a legal bid to secure a reduced jail sentence for the double murders of her husband Trevor Buchanan, 32, and 31-year-old Lesley Howell, who was the wife of her former lover Colin Howell.

Stewart is currently serving an 18-year term for the 1991 murders.

The 62-year-old’s fresh legal challenge was made on the basis that she was under the coercive control of Lesley’s husband, Colin Howell, who is serving a 21-year sentence in HMP Maghaberry for the murders.

Lauren Bradford-Clarke told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme she has “reached out” and made “early inquiries” about restorative justice.

“It’s a very, very complicated thing. It would require me to really kind of drag a lot of stuff up,” she said.

“Being able to move forward, I think it would be quite a long process,” she added.

Now an assistant professor in criminology, Ms Bradford-Clarke said she uses her “professional head” in order to deal with the trauma.

“Following my mummy’s murder, there were five years where Hazel Stewart was very much part of my life, and I very much remember her and remember the time that we had with her,” she said.

“It’s very sad in a lot of ways, I saw her as a mummy. I had lost my mum, and I wanted nothing more than to have a mum.”

Ms Bradford-Clarke said returning to the court is “very difficult” and “re-traumatising”.

“I lose sleep, I get very, very upset and emotional. It’s definitely something that becomes almost overwhelming,” she said.

In respect of Stewart’s recent appeal, Ms Bradford-Clarke said from her recollection, albeit as a young child, the description of “coercive control” did not fit the relationship between her father and Hazel Stewart.

“That is not my professional opinion, that is my personal opinion,” she said.

“I do not think that coercive control is a factor here, and I certainly do not think Hazel is a victim.

“There’s many victims in this case. I find it quite distasteful that Hazel Stewart is being labelled a victim here.

“What about my mum?”

Both victims were found in a fume filled garage in Castlerock, County Londonderry in May 1991.

Almost two decades later, Colin Howell confessed to the killings.

Police originally believed the deaths were the result of a suicide pact after they discovered their partners were having an extra-marital affair.

Instead, they had been drugged and murdered before their bodies were arranged to make it look like they had taken their own lives.

Howell also implicated his former lover in the plot and gave evidence against her at her trial.

During the trial, the court heard Howell had planned and carried out the killings and Stewart had facilitated them by drugging her husband, allowing Howell into her house and disposing of a hose pipe used in the murder.

Speaking on Wednesday after Hazel Stewart’s appeal was turned down, Lesley Howell’s family, referring to their mother by her maiden name of Lesley Clarke, said they were relieved that this stage of the legal process was over, but there is “no joy and no celebration”.

“While this decision offers some reassurance, we recognise that there’s no true end or closure.

“Nothing will bring our mum back,” her children said.