SWNS
Helen Bailey's finace allegedly watched 'every move' of a police search of their home
Ian Stewart followed officers everywhere as they looked for clues to explain his fiancee’s disappearance, the jury heard.
It was alleged Stewart, 56, appeared stunned when they discovered her passport.
Sergeant Nicole Goodyear said: “His whole demeanour changed, the colour changed on his face and he was very shocked. He said, ‘Where did you find that?’ ”
The court was told Stewart later appeared reluctant to give a full interview and once grinned at officers after talking about Ms Bailey.
Police searched the sprawling £1.5million house in Royston, Herts, three times.
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Stewart followed police around and appeared 'stunned' when they found her passport, a court heard
The first search was on April 15 last year – the day Stewart reported his fiancee missing.
He was there watching our every single move
data-ad-format="auto">Sergeant Nicole Goodyear
Sgt Goodyear said: “He was very interested in what we were doing, he wanted to follow us everywhere.
He was inquisitive as to why we were doing a thorough search. Everything we did was questioned. “He was there watching our every single move. He was almost right on top of me, a shoulder-length away.”
Stewart allegedly murdered Ms Bailey, 51, four days earlier and dumped her body in a cesspit under the garage.
Jurors were told he also killed her beloved miniature dachshund Boris and threw him into the pit to make it look as if she had gone missing.
The remains of Ms Bailey and her pet were discovered three months later, St Albans Crown Court heard. During the search in April, a Jeep had been parked over the cesspit hatch. The car was later moved.
Stewart was present when police searched the house two more times in July.
During the last operation, specialist officers opened the cesspit hatch and made the grim discovery.
SWNS
The author's body was discovered by police in a cesspit on the property
Sergeant Stephen Oliphant told the jury: “He was very accommodating to begin with.
“Then he would come back and ask where the search was progressing. Sometimes he would take an interest. At other times he became dismissive of us, throw his hands up and walk away as if to say, ‘Oh I’ve had enough of this’.”
Stewart was asked to give a full interview to police in the following weeks before he was arrested.
Detective Constable Hollie Daines said: “He said he wasn’t feeling well. He said he couldn’t be bothered and he just seemed quite blase and non-committal with us.
“He did say that he felt that officers made him feel uncomfortable and they were asking questions and he felt he should know the answers to those questions and he didn’t know the answers to them.”
Stewart allegedly killed the children’s writer to get his hands on her £4million fortune.
In the days leading up to her death, he is said to have secretly drugged her so she was “stupefied” when he killed her.
Stewart denies murder, fraud, perverting the course of justice and preventing a lawful burial.
The trial continues.
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