The trial of a woman accused of murdering her husband and her former lover's wife has adjourned for the day in Derry.
Hazel Stewart, 47, pleaded not guilty to murdering her husband Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell in May 1991.
Lawyers told the jury it was their contention that the deaths of Mr Buchanan and Mrs Howell were brought about following a 'joint agreement' by Ms Stewart and her former lover Colin Howell to kill their spouses and then cover up the crime.
'It will be clear this was a joint plan discussed in advance between Colin Howell and Hazel Stewart to kill their respective wife and husband by carbon monoxide poison for their own selfish ends,' said QC Ciaran Murphy.
'We say that Hazel Stewart knowingly entered into this agreement and assisted Colin Howell in ensuring he could safely kill her husband and afterwards they both covered up the whole thing.'
The bodies of Mr Buchanan, an RUC Constable, and Mrs Howell were discovered in a car at in the seaside town of Castlerock in Derry. At the time, police believed they died by suicide.
The case was reopened in 2009 following admissions made by Mr Howell, Lesley Howell's then husband.
Today the court heard how Ms Stewart and Mr Howell had been having an affair and that this was exposed in 1990.
In interviews taken by police following her arrest in 2009, Ms Stewart alleged Mr Howell told her the only way they could be together was if Mr Buchanan and Mrs Howell were killed.
Ms Stewart denies that there been an agreement between them she said it was 'his plan'.
She also said she was frightened by what Mr Howell had said and described herself as a weak individual.
