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Hazel Stewart's legal battle over police pension set for May

Convicted double killer Hazel Stewart
Convicted double killer Hazel Stewart Convicted double killer Hazel Stewart

CONVICTED double killer Hazel Stewart's legal battle over police pension benefits inherited from her murdered first husband is to be heard in May.

Attempts by the National Crime Agency (NCA) to secure an order for her to repay funds she gained following the death of Trevor Buchanan have been hit by a series of delays.

But a High Court judge has now listed the case for a trial expected to last for two days.

Stewart (52) is serving a minimum 18-year jail sentence for murdering Constable Buchanan (32) and 31-year-old Lesley Howell, the wife of her ex-lover Colin Howell in 1991.

Efforts to recover money under proceeds of crime legislation have been repeatedly adjourned due to ongoing difficulties in securing legal aid for her to defend the action.

The hold-up over legal aid involves requests for her current husband's financial details to be included on the funding application form.

Stewart's lawyers dispute that the information is required.

The court heard a final resolution has still to be reached.

The possibility of a future judicial review challenge against the legal aid authorities was also raised.

However, Mr Justice Maguire agreed to list the case for May 4-5.

The bid to recover money from Stewart comes as she continues to try to clear her name.

She was unanimously convicted of both killings by a jury at Coleraine Crown Court in March 2011.

The victims were found in a fume-filled garage in Castlerock, Co Derry and police believed they had died in a suicide pact after discovering their partners were having an affair.

Nearly two decades passed before dentist Howell (55) suddenly confessed to both killings and implicated Howell in the plot.

Last year she lost her appeal against being convicted of murdering her policeman husband.

She is now applying to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in a further challenge to the guilty verdict.