London – The fiancé of a bestselling British children’s writer was found guilty of murder on Wednesday after drugging and suffocating his bride-to-be and hiding her body in a cesspit behind the home they shared.
Ian Stewart, 56, watched on as police investigated the disappearance of “Electra Brown’’ author Helen Bailey, 51, for three months before her remains were found alongside the corpse of her dog Boris on July 15 last year in Royston, Hertfordshire.
Stewart was found guilty of murder, fraud, preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body and three counts of perverting the course of justice at St Albans Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
A date for the sentencing has not yet been set.
Stewart hid the cesspit where Bailey’s body was found from police by parking a car over the entrance.
The court heard that Bailey had felt unusually sleepy in the weeks before her death and turned to the internet to research possible causes.
Tests showed sleeping drug Zopiclone in her system, which Stewart is thought to have given her in increasing amounts before finally killing her.
He told the police that Bailey had left a note saying she needed some space, but admitted in court this was a lie.
As a nationwide search for Bailey got under way, Stewart sent texts to her phone which was in his possession as though she were missing.
He also set up a standing order from her bank account, went on a holiday to Spain they had booked together and took part in the search campaign to find her.