GUILTY UK - Helen Bailey, 51, Royston, 11 April 2016 #11
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cottonweaver
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IDThink you can test ashes Tiny. I think we all ruled that out by research when we were discussing it - not at the level that you can do this subtle toxicology for the types of drugs he'd used on Helen.
I think that cause I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of researching the retention of tissues articles. I distinctly remember spending a long time on trying to find a definitive answer on whether they would have kept a slide of the brain tissues in that era ( back when Diane died) and what steps they would need to take legally for retaining tissues. (SUDEP still isn't common so there would have been scientific research motive.)
And I recall there was some ambiguity - ie. there was a chance that they would have been retained and would be retestable decades down the line. I even went into the chemicals for storage.
Do I recall the detail now? No. But I can probably re-find it, IF it comes to it.
The Lem family IIRC were left with confusion, mystery and then after the HB murder with more doubt. It's only right that they get final closure if possible.
Would IS have to pay for more legal costs for another trial. He had that assets order and then has ha dto pay almost £100k Pros costs plus his own. So he still must have c. £200k left.......he can cover it
Alyce
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Wasn't there also a comment ( again will have to search for it amongst the old threads ) about the result of Diane's death being given as SUDEP only after the medics could not find any other cause....
and that they had also - possibly - been influenced in reaching this verdict because IS had told them of Diane's previous epileptic episodes.
and that they had also - possibly - been influenced in reaching this verdict because IS had told them of Diane's previous epileptic episodes.
Alyce I do remember that. IS is pure evil. I still can’t get over how he looked in his mugshot in comparison to the pictures of him with Helen.
This is from the Times article dating back to Feb 2017 with info about financials etc.
After the death of his first wife, Stewart received £28,000 from Cambridgeshire county council, a £33,000 life insurance policy and £16,000 from a Legal and General policy. Three weeks after she died he bought an MG sports car.
Unusually, there is no record of a will or a grant of probate having been made in Diane Stewart’s name.
He later sold the Bassingbourn property for £520,000 and put £470,000 into his home with Bailey.
We were told at the time it was an unexplained death — it has been on my mind
Relatives of Diane said he would not show them the death certificate even though the document, seen by The Sunday Times, states merely “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy” and “Verdict: natural causes”.
Noreen Lem, Diane’s mother, has welcomed the police decision to look again at her daughter’s unexpected death. She told The Sun: “She was fit, happy and healthy and too young to suddenly die. It was such a shock. Now there’s a possibility her husband had something to do with it.”
Another family member, who did not wish to be named, said: “We were told at the time it was an unexplained death — it has been on my mind that it was unexplained. [Stewart] was the only one there when she died . . . I know her brother and sister have been very concerned. ”
In 2013 Diane’s sister Wendy Bellamy-Lee raised her concerns on social media, saying the family was “still . . . numb and completely shocked . . . as to why it happened, with so many unanswered questions.”
This is from the Times article dating back to Feb 2017 with info about financials etc.
After the death of his first wife, Stewart received £28,000 from Cambridgeshire county council, a £33,000 life insurance policy and £16,000 from a Legal and General policy. Three weeks after she died he bought an MG sports car.
Unusually, there is no record of a will or a grant of probate having been made in Diane Stewart’s name.
He later sold the Bassingbourn property for £520,000 and put £470,000 into his home with Bailey.
We were told at the time it was an unexplained death — it has been on my mind
Relatives of Diane said he would not show them the death certificate even though the document, seen by The Sunday Times, states merely “sudden unexpected death in epilepsy” and “Verdict: natural causes”.
Noreen Lem, Diane’s mother, has welcomed the police decision to look again at her daughter’s unexpected death. She told The Sun: “She was fit, happy and healthy and too young to suddenly die. It was such a shock. Now there’s a possibility her husband had something to do with it.”
Another family member, who did not wish to be named, said: “We were told at the time it was an unexplained death — it has been on my mind that it was unexplained. [Stewart] was the only one there when she died . . . I know her brother and sister have been very concerned. ”
In 2013 Diane’s sister Wendy Bellamy-Lee raised her concerns on social media, saying the family was “still . . . numb and completely shocked . . . as to why it happened, with so many unanswered questions.”
scandinavian girl
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Everytime I think of Helen and Boris and I do that a lot, I also think about Diane and what happened to her, I am glad they still looking into that. It really has to be investigated for the boys sake bcs I think of them too.
Cherwell
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Yes, it would be October. Births can be registered up to 7 weeks after the event and death registrations can be delayed according to circumstances, but marriages are registered immediately.
The times article from 22nd of Feb. All the dates support your timeline Cottonweaver
He started by stealing a chip..... And I would question the “handsome” comment.....
Where did it all go so wrong for this once handsome and intelligent man, who married his university sweetheart, became a father to two sons and was a wealthy homeowner?
Ian Stewart was born to Brenda and Keith Stewart in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, where he grew up as an only child. In court he described his childhood as “difficult” because of his mother’s post-natal depression and subsequent obsessive compulsive disorder. He said that he often felt he could not take friends from his grammar school home.
In 1978 Stewart began a course in electronic computer systems at Salford University. Back at home for the holidays, he had an accident that left the long scar up his right cheek.
“I was going to Stevenage Leisure Centre to play sport with my friends,” he told the trial. “It was icy, I put my hand on the door, my foot slipped and I went straight through the glass door.” He was given £7,000 in compensation when it was found the door had the wrong type of glass.
Despite this, his university years appeared to be happy. In his third year, he met Diane Lem, a “stunning” woman studying French and German. “We met in the canteen and I stole a chip off her plate,” he said. “That’s how we met.”
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While she stayed to continue her degree, Stewart left with first class honours and got a job in Hitchen. He then began a PhD at Cambridge University and he and Diane bought their first house in the town with the £7,000 compensation money.
The pair married in 1985 and their first son, Jamie, was born in 1992. Stewart told the jury that his wife had “epileptic fits” as a teenager and suffered one after their son’s birth, causing her to be banned from driving for three years.
They moved to Bassingbourn and built their own house, living in a caravan until it was finished.
At this point everything appeared to disintegrate in Stewart’s life. In 1995, just after his second son, Oliver, was born, he had myasthenia gravis diagnosed — a condition that weakens the muscles.
He had two operations, leaving him with one vocal cord. After going back to work for six months, he had another attack while the family were on holiday in France.
Stewart was signed off for life and has not worked since.
Between then and 2010, when Diane died after collapsing in her garden, the Stewart family appeared to live a normal life. She went back to work as a school secretary once her sons grew older, while Stewart occupied himself with various hobbies.
However, friends of the pair in Bassingbourn remember a vivacious and popular woman married to an unwell and introverted man.
She was a “pillar” of the Bassingbourn Bowls Club, sat on the committee for the Bassingbourn Air Cadets, was friendly with the local vicar and organised a village music festival.
Stewart was remembered for bizarre incidents involving money. Bill Manley, chairman of the local bowls club, recalled: “He was very, very money orientated. In our bowls club he was treasurer and I remember two events. One was when our irrigation tank needed replacing and everyone was asked to chip in a tenner. He was the only one who refused and said he paid membership and shouldn’t have to pay anymore.
“The other event was when we had a club final and at the end there was a nice tea which people had to pay £3 for. He went ballistic. I had to grab him and take him to one side to tell him to shut up and stop embarrassing the club or go home.”
Other friends of Diane remember how the widower was “running around with other women” soon after her death, once referring to one of them as his wife.
He also bought an MG sports car three weeks after Diane’s death and was often seen driving round the area in it.
He started by stealing a chip..... And I would question the “handsome” comment.....
Where did it all go so wrong for this once handsome and intelligent man, who married his university sweetheart, became a father to two sons and was a wealthy homeowner?
Ian Stewart was born to Brenda and Keith Stewart in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, where he grew up as an only child. In court he described his childhood as “difficult” because of his mother’s post-natal depression and subsequent obsessive compulsive disorder. He said that he often felt he could not take friends from his grammar school home.
In 1978 Stewart began a course in electronic computer systems at Salford University. Back at home for the holidays, he had an accident that left the long scar up his right cheek.
“I was going to Stevenage Leisure Centre to play sport with my friends,” he told the trial. “It was icy, I put my hand on the door, my foot slipped and I went straight through the glass door.” He was given £7,000 in compensation when it was found the door had the wrong type of glass.
Despite this, his university years appeared to be happy. In his third year, he met Diane Lem, a “stunning” woman studying French and German. “We met in the canteen and I stole a chip off her plate,” he said. “That’s how we met.”
Do this to give your pet a long and healthy life
No two cats are the same – their nutritional needs vary according to age, breed and activity level. So here’s what they should be eating…
SPONSORED
While she stayed to continue her degree, Stewart left with first class honours and got a job in Hitchen. He then began a PhD at Cambridge University and he and Diane bought their first house in the town with the £7,000 compensation money.
The pair married in 1985 and their first son, Jamie, was born in 1992. Stewart told the jury that his wife had “epileptic fits” as a teenager and suffered one after their son’s birth, causing her to be banned from driving for three years.
They moved to Bassingbourn and built their own house, living in a caravan until it was finished.
At this point everything appeared to disintegrate in Stewart’s life. In 1995, just after his second son, Oliver, was born, he had myasthenia gravis diagnosed — a condition that weakens the muscles.
He had two operations, leaving him with one vocal cord. After going back to work for six months, he had another attack while the family were on holiday in France.
Stewart was signed off for life and has not worked since.
Between then and 2010, when Diane died after collapsing in her garden, the Stewart family appeared to live a normal life. She went back to work as a school secretary once her sons grew older, while Stewart occupied himself with various hobbies.
However, friends of the pair in Bassingbourn remember a vivacious and popular woman married to an unwell and introverted man.
She was a “pillar” of the Bassingbourn Bowls Club, sat on the committee for the Bassingbourn Air Cadets, was friendly with the local vicar and organised a village music festival.
Stewart was remembered for bizarre incidents involving money. Bill Manley, chairman of the local bowls club, recalled: “He was very, very money orientated. In our bowls club he was treasurer and I remember two events. One was when our irrigation tank needed replacing and everyone was asked to chip in a tenner. He was the only one who refused and said he paid membership and shouldn’t have to pay anymore.
“The other event was when we had a club final and at the end there was a nice tea which people had to pay £3 for. He went ballistic. I had to grab him and take him to one side to tell him to shut up and stop embarrassing the club or go home.”
Other friends of Diane remember how the widower was “running around with other women” soon after her death, once referring to one of them as his wife.
He also bought an MG sports car three weeks after Diane’s death and was often seen driving round the area in it.
Interested Bystander
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Hi Cotton. Nice to see you here. I have been keeping a weather eye on the HB murder and the possibility that he also murdered his first wife. I am pleased to see there have been posts on the subject today, having read it myself in the papers but had almost given up due to the length of time it has taken to determine whether IS was guilty of that too.
I think one of the things we learned was that the side effect of the drug he fed to HB was epilepsy. It was said that Diane had epilepsy during one of her pregnancies but we never heard whether she was on treatment or ever had another afterwards. Is this where IS learned about the drug that killed HB, I wonder? There are other possible seizures in pregnancy, such as PNES but Diane did not seem to be the anxious type from all we have heard about her. Also, according to her family, she was in very good health.
It will be interesting to hear more about what conclusions the police have come to and how, ie was it the slides of the brain tissue or other tissue that was saved, maybe liver or hair?
I think one of the things we learned was that the side effect of the drug he fed to HB was epilepsy. It was said that Diane had epilepsy during one of her pregnancies but we never heard whether she was on treatment or ever had another afterwards. Is this where IS learned about the drug that killed HB, I wonder? There are other possible seizures in pregnancy, such as PNES but Diane did not seem to be the anxious type from all we have heard about her. Also, according to her family, she was in very good health.
It will be interesting to hear more about what conclusions the police have come to and how, ie was it the slides of the brain tissue or other tissue that was saved, maybe liver or hair?
Interested Bystander
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This must be harrowing for the boys. Inevitably they will have to relive what happened to their mother but quite likely find out that she was murdered by their father and maybe even face another trial. This is just awful for them but has to be done.
I’ve been following this case and have just found this thread, who is LE please?
Legally Bland
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Welcome,
LE is law enforcement.
I guess it's because this an American site so LE is a catch all for police/FBI/DEA etc.
Ah, thank you!
I have been absent from the WS forum - but thought of you all in the days I always think of Helen and Boris. Of course, time of her dying and her Birthday has been special time when I thought of all your brilliant sleuthing and caring of Helen. I have often looked to see where he is at, and where the 'case' of Diane's death may be his previous murder. And wished that Helen had known more - we had all known more.
He did it - he has been interviewed. They wouldn't have released this to the news before knowing they had evidence - and enough to go to CPS.
Only to say beyond this that it was a close connection with you all during the dreadfulness of Helen's dying and Boris x And lovely to learn of Bailey Dachshund xx And thank you for sharing with me on WS x
He did it - he has been interviewed. They wouldn't have released this to the news before knowing they had evidence - and enough to go to CPS.
Only to say beyond this that it was a close connection with you all during the dreadfulness of Helen's dying and Boris x And lovely to learn of Bailey Dachshund xx And thank you for sharing with me on WS x
So relieve that IS has been interviewed about the death of his first wife. Sounds like they are building a case against him. Am certain he killed her. The poor sons having to deal with that on top of everything else. At the very least they are adults with other family members who can support if necessary.
MsMiniSleuth
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Wasn't it someone on here who originally sowed the seeds of doubt about Diane's death to police, or am I getting confused?! I know it was talked about long before IS was actually convicted, ie the circumstances surrounding his first wife.
There must have been a lot of unease and speculation amongst her family. I wonder what his two sons felt, and especially since what came to light afterwards with Helen.
There must have been a lot of unease and speculation amongst her family. I wonder what his two sons felt, and especially since what came to light afterwards with Helen.
TheBigBanana
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I also came across the news reports of IS being questioned about the death of his wife. The date is significant as the 22nd of August would have been Helen's 54th Birthday.
As above I find the wording relating to his arrest contained in the newspaper reports quite odd tbh.
Does a person who has been convicted and in prison, need to be arrested and then realeased(?) for questioning
As above I find the wording relating to his arrest contained in the newspaper reports quite odd tbh.
Does a person who has been convicted and in prison, need to be arrested and then realeased(?) for questioning
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