[jtonkfan]

Any UK viewers might of come across this show on ITV - The Secret. It was based on a true story so I thought I'd do some researching, it was quite interesting... and twisted.

Colin Howell (born 14 March 1959) is a Northern Irish convicted double murderer.



Howell killed his wife Leslie (née Clarke) and the husband of his lover, Trevor Buchanan (who was a RUC officer), in what appeared to be a suicide pact between two lovers. The bodies were found in a fume-filled car in Castlerock on May 19, 1991.

Howell, a native of Portadown and a dentist by occupation, was a deeply religious father of ten and a former lay preacher. He married Leslie in July 1983. They were members of the local Baptist church. After his wife's death Howell remarried.

Howell confessed his role in the murders to elders in his church who urged him to inform police. He pleaded guilty to the murders on 18 November 2010 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was told he must serve a minimum 21 year jail term.

His former lover Hazel Stewart, a co-accused in the case, was found guilty of murder in March, 2011, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

On 17 May 2011 Howell pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting nine women patients in his surgery over a period of several years.

[a175]

Sexual assaults women, has an affair, and murders two people... "deeply religious"?

[jtonkfan]

Originally Posted by a175 ↗

Sexual assaults women, has an affair, and murders two people... "deeply religious"?

I know, hypocritical huh?

I watched the drama based on the story, very sick and twisted... They committed so many sins to avoid upsetting the church? Makes no sense! It went on from 1991 - 2011

[a175]

Originally Posted by jtonkfan ↗

I know, hypocritical huh?

I watched the drama based on the story, very sick and twisted... They committed so many sins to avoid upsetting the church? Makes no sense! It went on from 1991 - 2011

Yes. More than that, though, it's how media portrays people. Anybody who preaches from the pulpit gets the label of piety regardless of how horrible they are. I'm not a Christian, but it's an insult to Christians to call him "deeply religious".

[fapfapfap]

Originally Posted by a175 ↗

Yes. More than that, though, it's how media portrays people. Anybody who preaches from the pulpit gets the label of piety regardless of how horrible they are. I'm not a Christian, but it's an insult to Christians to call him "deeply religious".

No it isn't.

Lots of people become "deeply religious" in an attempt to control urges inside of them that they believe are dangerous and/or morally wrong.

The fact that some of those people succumb to those urges doesn't invalidate their previous religious belief. If anything, the opposite is true; many of those people have a much more devout level of religious belief than most of the casually-religious types who would be "offended" by this man being called a Christian.

[JMWord1971]

uh okay????? now back to church they go???? religion is just an excuse for savagery. i cant think of one thing thats caused or used as an excuse to commit so much destruction. just because he played the religious part does not mean he was and he certainly was crazy as it gets. you know in the deeply religious sense! crazy shit!

[alyjo07]

Originally Posted by a175 ↗

Sexual assaults women, has an affair, and murders two people... "deeply religious"?

RIGHT! Can't be to "deeply religious"