Confessions of a Killer: The Colin Howell Case Revisited

In January 2009, Coleraine dentist Colin Howell voluntarily presented himself at a police station in County Londonderry, where he confessed to the killings of his wife, Lesley Howell, and Trevor Buchanan, the husband of his former lover Hazel Stewart, crimes that had taken place almost two decades earlier.

A new two-part documentary series, Confessions of a Killer, draws on previously unheard audio recordings from Howell’s 2009 police interviews, offering a striking and unsettling window into his mindset at the time of his confession.

These recordings, broadcast publicly for the first time, shed new light on his actions and on why he chose to come forward after 18 years of silence.

When Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan were found dead in May 1991, their deaths were initially treated as a tragic suicide pact. The reality, as later emerged, was far more sinister.

The series pays tribute to both victims, reflecting on who they were and exploring the lasting impact their deaths had on family, friends, and the wider community.

It also examines Howell’s own account of the murders, the role of his then lover Hazel Stewart, and the recent rejection of her appeal, in which she argued that she had been subjected to Howell’s coercive control.

Featuring contributions from people who knew the victims, alongside detectives, journalists, legal analysts, and others with direct knowledge of the case, the documentary pieces together a comprehensive picture of one of Northern Ireland’s most shocking criminal cases.

Produced by Below The Radar Television with support from Northern Ireland Screen, Confessions of a Killer is now available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.