Court hears author 'panicked' over her state of mind

The mother of children's author Helen Bailey became "uneasy" about the man accused of killing her in the weeks before she disappeared, a court has heard.

Ian Stewart, 56, of Baldock Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, is accused ofmurdering the writer - originally from Ponteland, Northumberland - after plying her with sedatives in a financially motivatedplot last year.

Helen Bailey's mother, Eileen Bailey, told his trial at St Albans Crown Court that her daughter "panicked" about her deteriorating state of mind and repeated forgetful incidents.

She had become "highly anxious" and felt "spaced out" all the time, jurorswere told.

Asked about her views on the couple's relationship, her mother said: "Well, Ifelt uneasy about it, latterly I was quite unhappy - mainly because of Helen'sstate of mind."

Stewart denies charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice.

In the weeks before Ms Bailey vanished, she confided in her mother aboutinadvertently leaving her dog on the beach, taking an item scanner from asupermarket and not being able to recognise her hands on a computer keyboard.

Speaking to the court via video-link, with a framed picture of the authorvisible behind her shoulder, Mrs Bailey told the court: "That really worriedme."

She added: "She just had such a good memory beforehand."

A week before her alleged murder, the 51-year-old phoned her mother, deeply worried after falling asleep for five hours - despite having a full night's rest.

Mrs Bailey said: "I picked the phone up and she said 'Hi Mum, it's me' and Isaid 'Hello you' and then, in this panicked voice, she said 'I just slept fivehours'.

"That took me by surprise and I said 'You must have needed it' and she said'What, after a night's sleep?"'

Breaking down, her mother added: "I feel I was dismissive."

She told the court she thought Stewart had cooked her daughter breakfast that morning, but on cross-examination said she could not be sure.

Three months after she vanished, Ms Bailey's body was discovered in a cesspit below the couple's sprawling home, alongside her dog Boris.

Discovered in her system during a post-mortem examination were traces of an anti-insomnia drug prescribed to Stewart, the court has previously heard.