Howell remanded in custody until October

The 51-year-old was due to be formally arraigned before Antrim Crown Court last Monday on a total of 17 charges of indecent assault involving six women, allegedly committed over a decade between March 1998 and December 2008.

However, defence QC Richard Weir told Judge David Smyth QC that "certain legal issues have arisen" which required further discussion with senior prosecuting counsel.

A clean-shaven Howell said nothing during the brief appearance, save to answer to his name, and was remanded back into custody until October 4 next when he will be arraigned.

Six of the charges relate to one woman, while four involve a second victim. The remaining seven charges relate to four other women, and offences were allegedly committed at his dental implant surgery in Ballymoney.

The trial of Howell, from Glebe Road, Castlerock, and 47-year-old Stewart, of Ballystrone Road, Coleraine, for the murders of his 31-year-old wife and mother of four, Leslie Howard, and Stewart's 32-year-old husband, Constable Trevor Buchanan, is listed to take place in late November.

It was due to start on November 1, but was adjourned a further two weeks to allow defence psychiatrists and psychologists more time to examine the ex-lovers, who have since re-married other partners.

The bodies of their original partners were found together in a fume-filled car in Castlerock in May 1991 and at the time police believed the pair died in a suicide pact.

However, the cold-case file was reopened by detectives after they recently re-questioned the dentist about the deaths.