Murder accused will not give evidence in trial
Paul Ramsey QC told judge Mr Justice Anthony Hart that 47-year-old Hazel Stewart will not take the stand in the high profile case.
She is accused of plotting with her ex-lover Colin Howell to kill his wife Lesley and her husband Trevor Buchanan in May 1991 and covering it up as a suicide pact. She denies the charges.
The judge asked Mr Ramsey was his client aware that her decision not to give evidence would be taken into account by the jury of three women and nine men.
“The jury may draw such inference as would appear proper from her failure to do so,” he said.
The barrister said Hazel Stewart, who sat impassively in the dock, knew the situation.
He told the court the defence would be calling no evidence in the case.
The development came on the 12th day of the trial after Crown lawyer Ciaran Murphy had closed the prosecution case.
The Crown re-called one witness — Dr John Press — just prior to closing its evidence.
The retired pathologist carried out post mortem examinations on the two victims after their bodies were discovered almost 20 years ago.
Mr Murphy asked the doctor about the fact he had found nothing in Pc Buchanan’s stomach.
Howell claims Hazel Stewart administered sedatives to her husband by crushing them up in a tuna sandwich or roll earlier on the evening of his murder. An allegation she denied in police interview.
Dr Press told the court that there was only mucus in the policeman’s stomach when he carried out his examination and that any food had made its way into the intestines.
Mr Murphy asked how long it took for food to leave the stomach.
“I’d say a couple of hours, even for large meals to have disappeared,” said the doctor.
“Even from half-an- hour, food will start to move,” he said.
The trial was adjourned to Monday when the prosecution and defence will start delivering their closing statements.
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