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BBC News UK

It was the big story of yesterday and continues to be this morning - newly convicted killer Ian Stewart makes most of the front pages as police look again at his wife's death in 2010.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

A judge is due to give a life sentence today to Ian Stewart, who was found guilty yesterday of murdering his fiancee, the children's author Helen Bailey, and dumping her body in the cesspit of their Royston home. 

Sentencing will take place at St Albans Crown Court this morning.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Storm Doris has made landfall on the British coast this morning, and it's already pretty windy.

An amber warning, external has been issued by the Met Office for wind, as gusts of 60-70mph are expected.

There will be some heavy rain this morning, with strong winds throughout the day and the more severe gales in the early afternoon.

Maximum temperature: 11C (52F).

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Good morning and welcome back to live updates of news, weather, travel and sport for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

We'll be with you until 18:00 and, as the UK begins to feel the force of Storm Doris, a full weather forecast will be with you shortly.

Also today, after yesterday's conviction of Ian Stewart for the murder of his fiancee Helen Bailey, a judge is due to pass sentence this morning. We'll bring you all the news from St Albans Crown Court as we get it.

As always, if you want to get in touch you can email, Facebook, external or Twitter, external. 

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

That's it for today from all the team here at Local Live for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. 

Our news today has mainly focused on Ian Stewart being found guilty of murdering his fiancé, the author Helen Bailey, at their home in Royston.

You can read all our updates following the conviction by scrolling through this page, and catch up on this morning's tributes to the late TV and BBC radio presenter Stephen Rhodes.

We'll be back from 08:00 tomorrow morning, reporting on the sentencing of Ian Stewart which is expected from 10:00. 

See you then.

Ian Stewart was the chief heir to Helen Bailey's fortune and gained power of attorney over her affairs.

He stood to inherit millions from her estate, including their £1.2m home in Royston. 

Because of this and to make Stewart does not profit from his crime, prosecutor Charles White said a financial inquiry will now be held.

"He was an arch dissembler, he was able to trick everyone, so I think anybody who came across his path was a potential victim," he said.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Jodie Halford
BBC News

In 2010 Ian Stewart was widowed when his wife, Diane, died after having an epileptic fit in the garden of their home in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire. 

The 56-year-old had worked as a software engineer before being forced to give up work due to poor health, and was described by many as "quiet" and "reserved". 

Early in 2016 he was given the all-clear from bowel cancer.

However, he suffered from insomnia and was prescribed a drug called zopiclone - the same drug pathologists found in Ms Bailey's system. 

Image source, Contributed

Mavis Drake, the couple's nearest neighbour in Royston, said Stewart was a man "without much personality". 

"He didn't make any impression on me," she said. "He wouldn't venture information, so you'd have to try to prise it out of him. 

"I would never in a million years have matched them up as a couple. To me they were complete opposites in character."

Helen Bailey was drugged and suffocated by her fiance and her body thrown in a cesspit.

Alex Pope
BBC Local Live

"Effervescent, full of life, incredibly talented, warm, funny and vivacious."

Those were the words used to describe Helen Bailey by her publisher friend, Emily Thomas.

She described the writer as "somebody who used every opportunity to love life despite tragedy - she was an incredibly life-affirming person".

She said after her husband John died in 2011, she eventually "came out of a period of great darkness into another period in her life with more positivity". 

Image source, SWNS

She said her "trusted companion" was her dog Boris (above), who "saw her through some really dark times" and who "she adored".

This afternoon St Albans Crown Court sat again to hear mitigation from Ian Bailey's defence team. 

The 56-year-old refused to attend and instead remained in the cell area below the court.

Simon Russell Flint QC, defending, said "there is little I can say" referring to the guilty verdicts, saying there was a real chance Mr Stewart would "end his days behind bars".

Judge Andrew Bright QC said he was prepared to sentence Stewart tomorrow morning via a video link with Bedford Prison, where he's been held since his arrest last July.

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

He said if Stewart refused to leave his cell and attend the jail's video suite area he would be sentenced "in his absence".

The judge told the court: "I am quite satisfied this was a murder for gain.

"It's plain to me he thought he was going to be a substantial beneficiary following her death."

Nicola Haseler
BBC Three Counties

Ian Stewart's two sons Jamie and Oliver were in court today along with Helen Bailey's brother, John Bailey (below).

Image source, Paperpix

Mr Bailey only nodded when the verdicts were read out, as the judge asked the court to refrain from any outpourings of emotion. 

Image source, Paperpix

When the two brothers (above, Jamie left, Oliver right) came out of St Albans Crown Court they tried to avoid eye contact with the press. 

Image source, Paperpix

The pair were then escorted by police to a waiting car, which sped off. 

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The cause of Helen Bailey's death was officially listed as "undetermined" by pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary, but analysis of her hair found traces of the sedative Zopiclone.

It had been prescribed to her fiancé Ian Stewart.

It was in Ms Bailey's system for several months and was present at the time of her death.

During the trial, toxicologist Dr Mark Piper said side effects of the drug could include short-term memory loss, perhaps leading someone to think "their mind was playing tricks".

Image source, Hertfordshire police

The jury was told that in the weeks before her death the writer had emailed friends describing how she felt confused and mentally impaired and had searched online for terms such as "can't stop falling asleep''. 

Prosecutors said Stewart likely smothered Ms Bailey with a pillow when she was sedated to try and gain her £3.3m estate. 

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Bereavement counsellor Shelley Whitehead, who worked with Helen Bailey for two years after her first husband died, said there was a particular point during the author's disappearance when Ian Stewart made her feel "uncomfortable".

Ms Bailey's body was found last July in a cesspit at the home she shared with Mr Stewart in Royston, Hertfordshire. He reported her missing on 15 April.  

Ms Whitehead said during that time Stewart told her he was driving to Broadstairs, where Ms Bailey had a cottage, in order to see if anything was missing.

She said: "On the way back I spoke to him, and he said he couldn't really determine if anything was missing – then [he] asked me a question. He said 'Shelley, did Helen ever discuss our life with you?'

"I was her coach so Helen discussed every aspect of her life with me, so I said 'yes' and mentioned some parts of life she'd discussed with me - family life, life with the boys and Ian and the details.

"And from that 'very concerned, I don't know what to do, really, really down' voice, his whole tone changed.

"He said 'well, did you tell that to the police?' and I said 'no Ian, I didn't feel it was relevant'... but something inside me, the intuitive part, that blink moment, just felt really uncomfortable."

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

An editor at Blink Publishing Oliver Holden–Rea has tweeted, external that Helen Bailey was "genuinely one of the most lovely authors I've ever worked with".

He has also linked to one of the many pieces published in the aftermath of Ian Stewart's conviction for her murder - the Guardian, external's feature on how the "killer fiancé duped grieving Helen Bailey".  

Children's author Helen Bailey's fiance Ian Stewart has been found guilty of her murder.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Ms Whitehead continued that the author said her new partner Ian Stewart "ticked all the boxes".  

"Helen was very clear about what she wanted in life and the type of person she wanted to be with... she had been with her husband John for 23 years and loved him," she said.

"She met Ian and was very happy."

The counsellor said initially Helen was "attracted to the way he wrote to her, his style of writing [and] his ability to connect".

"Helen didn’t suffer fools gladly ever," she said.

"She was highly intelligent, very witty, and he responded to that.

"He ticked the boxes that were necessary for Helen, he loved dogs and he was a good dad. He was funny, he was considerate, and she was very happy."

The counsellor also said Ms Bailey said nothing about Stewart that suggested something was amiss.

"Helen would have picked up on that," she said.

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Helen Bailey's bereavement counsellor, Shelley Whitehead, told the BBC if she had to use one word to describe the author it would be "real".

Ms Whitehead worked with Ms Bailey for two years after her first husband drowned on holiday in Barbados in a tragic accident.

She said between them they "transcended the very deep grief, and the loss of John, her husband, to create a life that she loved".

"She was very distressed and I said I can promise you one thing, you're going to be OK and that's how we started," she said.

"She was so authentic and so real."

During the six-week trial of Ian Stewart, pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary told the court it was "possible that she was put down the well in an unconscious state and then drowned".

Laser images below show the depth of the cesspit, which was underneath the couple's garage, and the size of the opening. 

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Fast forward to July, and it took experts two days to recover Helen Bailey's body from a cesspit at the Royston home she shared with Ian Stewart.

Only Ms Bailey's elbow was visible when police first looked inside the deep well. 

Her body was eventually recovered, along with that of her dog Boris.   

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Image source, Hertfordshire Police

Image source, Hertfordshire Police