Fiona Beal Trial: Northampton teacher accused of partner’s murder says she was ‘disgusted’ at mistress for ‘invading’ their lives

A former Northampton teacher accused of murdering her partner has told a court that she was “disgusted” at her partner’s mistress for “invading” their lives.

Fiona Beal, aged 49, of Moore Street, stands accused of murdering 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham in November 2021 and burying his body in their garden.

The former Eastfield Academy teacher was charged with Mr Billingham’s murder in March 2022 after she tried to take her life in a Cumbrian holiday lodge and police uncovered two journals that detailed carrying out a plan to kill someone.

While Beal admits to Mr Billingham’s unlawful killing, she denies murder due to loss of control and her state of mind at the time. Her defence barrister Andrew Wheeler KC claims that her relationship with Mr Billingham was “coercive” and left Beal “broken.”

Steven Perian KC’s cross examination of Beal resumed today (May 11) after commencing yesterday. He proceeded to question the defendant about her feelings regarding Mr Billingham’s affairs.

The court previously heard that, while the pair lived in Earls Barton, Mr Billingham had an on-off affair with another local woman and fathered a child with her.

Mr Perian asked Beal how she felt about the affair with this particular woman.

“Awful,” Beal responded, “and the fact he was doing it on our doorstep as well. It was someone in the village. It was very disrespectful to me.”

Beal told the court that, after she initially found out about the affair in March 2018, Mr Billingham was debating moving in with the mistress. Mr Perian asked Beal how she felt about that.

Beal replied: “Um… it’s difficult to say. She invaded our lives and I actually thought it might be better if he did.”

The court heard that Mr Billingham moved in with the other woman in September 2018 where he remained for around three months before finding out about the pregnancy. He moved to his cousin’s house and then shared accommodation.

Beal told the court that, during this time, Mr Billingham would turn up to their Earls Barton address “crying a lot” and saying that he had made a “mistake.”

The court heard that the couple sought counselling both individually and together. During that time, Mr Billingham wrote two letters to Beal, which were read aloud to the court.

An extract of the first letter said: “I am so sorry for all the pain, all the heartache and tears I have caused in all of our lives. I can only beg for your forgiveness one day. My life is so empty without you and I cannot see any future for me on my own. I need a purpose to carry on. My body, my heart and my love have been yours since the day I met you and will be until the day I die.”

When asked how the letters made her feel, Beal said: “I thought he was genuinely changing because he was acknowledging the affairs and how he treated me.”

With regards to the second letter, Beal told jurors it did not “feel” like Mr Billingham’s words.

Beal said: “ I thought this was written with the counsellor because he says things like ‘I believe I am natural, sincere and genuine.’ It was not language he would use.”

After the pair got back together and Mr Billingham moved back into their former Earls Barton home, a baby scan and a letter was posted through their door from the mistress addressed to Beal. The baby scan was of the child Mr Billingham fathered with the mistress, the court heard.

Beal then received a further letter from the mistress at her place of work, which was - at the time - Kings Heath Academy.

When asked how she felt about the letters, the defendant said: “I was disgusted that she invaded my work space as well as my home.”

When Beal confronted her partner about the letters, she said Mr Billingham screwed them up and told her that she should not keep them.

However, the letters were discovered in the attic of the couple’s Moore Street home in Kingsley where they moved in February 2020, the court heard. Beal told the court she did not know why she kept the letters.

An Apple Note recovered from Beal’s iPhone contained a drafted text message response to the mistress’ letters.

In the message, Beal told the woman to “take some responsibility” for her “equally inexcusable actions” to get involved with a man knowing he has a partner.

Beal wrote: “I do not hold you solely responsible but do not think of yourself as innocent. You may think you can justify your actions but you are lying to yourself as what you have done is morally reprehensible.”

The note continued: “I do not want to receive any more letters from you, neither at my home or at my workplace. I consider them a form of harassment.”

Beal told the court that she never sent that response to the mistress and the drafted Apple Note was just her “venting.”

The former Eastfield Academy teacher told the court that her depression worsened as 2021 went on.

The court heard that Mr Billingham began working on renovating a property in March 2021 and, when that work was completed, he agreed to work with the same project manager again on another property in Greens Norton in November 2021.

Mr Perian asked Beal if, by August 2021, Beal had suspected that her partner was having an affair with that project manager,

The defendant replied: “No, I only suspected it when they said they met at a pub.”

Beal was questioned on her cannabis use. She said she smoked the drug “as a form of relaxation” and bought £20 of it at a time

Mr Perian asked the defendant if Mr Billingham was aware of her drug use. She said yes and claimed that Mr Billingham would sometimes buy the cannabis for her when they lived in Earls Barton.

The trial continues.