Fiona Beal Trial: Prosecutor accuses ‘cruel’ former Northampton teacher of carrying out ‘revenge killing’ of partner

A former Northampton teacher standing trial for murdering her partner was labelled “cruel” by a prosecutor, for sending texts to the victim’s mother to pretend that he was still alive.

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.”

On May 15, 2022, Beal was extensively questioned about the night she killed Mr Billingham but she claimed she could not remember any details.

“I remember dragging something heavy into the garden but I don’t know, it is not a clear memory,” Beal told jurors. She previously recalled to the court seeing Mr Billingham’s wrapped body in her dining room.

Mr Perian referred to details in a journal written by Beal that detailed killing someone, labelling it her “confession book.”

“Excuse me,” Beal sharply interjected, “I would prefer it if you did not call it a confession book.”

Beal told the court that, by 2021, Mr Billingham wanted more “extreme” things from their sexual relationship, including spitting on her. She claimed that, when she told him she did not like that, he would compare her to other women, tell her she was overreacting and call her “frigid.”

The former Eastfield Academy teacher was asked if she had thought about killing Mr Billingham by October 2021. She said she had “fleeting” thoughts of thinking it would be better if he was not there.

“I suppose wishing he was dead sometimes,” she added.

Jurors were shown a mortgage declaration that was signed by both Beal and Mr Billingham on October 30, 2021, which fixed a new mortgage rate that would come into effect in December 2021.

Mr Perian questioned why Beal would sign a document to continue their mortgage if she was “in fear” of him.

“Because he asked me to sign it and I didn’t want an argument,” Beal said.

The court heard that Beal contacted the school to say that both herself and Mr Billingham had contracted coronavirus on the day of the killing.

Mr Perian said that Beal had lied about testing positive for Covid-19.

“I thought I had covid but now, given the evidence, I am not so sure,” Beal said.

The prosecution questioned Beal about purchases she made on Mr Billingham’s credit cards and Amazon account including heavy duty refuse bin bags, venetian blind cleaner and mattress protector for a double bed in the early hours of November 2, 2021 - the day after she killed Mr Billingham.

On later dates, Beal used her partner’s card to purchase sex toys and watched pornography on his phone.

Beal claimed that she could not remember doing any of this.

The former teacher told the court that, when she was not working, she smoked around 10 joints of cannabis a day and spent £50 a week on the drug.

On December 10, 2021, Beal attended a work Christmas party at the Lumbertubs Pub in Boothville, where she was pictured with colleagues smiling.

Mr Perian asked Beal if that is reflective of how she was feeling that day.

Beal said: “It is how I was on the outside that day. It does not mean that was how I was feeling.”

Beal was asked if she had moved Mr Billingham’s van from their home in Moore Street to Tudor Road after killing him.

“I don’t recall moving it to Tudor Road but it would have been me, yes,” Beal said, “I am assuming because I told people he moved out.”

Beal confirmed to the court that she texted others from Mr Billingham’s phone after she killed him to pretend to his colleagues, relatives and friends that he was still alive. One of those people was Mr Billingham’s mother, Yvonne Valentine.

The court heard that Beal told Mrs Valentine to get in touch with her son using an email address that was not recognised as Mr Billingham’s. Beal, however, claimed this was a “mistake.”

Mr Perian asked the defendant: “It is a very cruel thing to do to a mother isn’t it?”

Beal responded: “They were estranged. They hadn’t talked for years. They had only recently got back in touch. I don’t know why I did it.”

“That was a cruel thing to do to her, wasn’t it?” Mr Perian repeated.

“I don’t think it was a kind thing to do,” Beal said.

Beal was sectioned under the Mental Health Act on March 16 when police discovered her at the Cumbrian lodge after she tried to take her own life and she was taken to Lancaster Royal Infirmary.

The court heard that, before Beal’s arrest, she used her phone to Google search the following terms: ‘section mental health act,’ ‘Lancaster Hospital,’ ‘what happens when you are sectioned,’ and ‘can you be sectioned for being suicidal.’

Mr Perian put to the defendant that the reason she killed Mr Billingham was that she believed he was having an affair with another woman and the act had nothing to do with her cannabis use.

“No, there have been plenty of affairs over the years,” Beal said.

“You planned to kill him, didn’t you?” Mr Perian asked.

“No.”

“This was a revenge killing, wasn’t it?”

“No.”

“That’s why you had that confession book.”

“No, as I said, it is just a journal.”

Mr Perian put to Beal that she did not initially intend to kill herself when she booked that lodge in Cumbria but, when she was visited by police and asked about Mr Billingham’s whereabouts, she realised “the game was up.”

Beal told the prosecutor: “Please stop laughing, I don't find this funny.”

Her Honour Judge Lucking KC assured the defendant that the prosecutor was not laughing at her.

“You trumped up all the bad things that had happened to you and put it in that book,” Mr Perian accused Beal.

“No,” the defendant tearfully denied.

Mr Perian concluded his cross examination of the defendant.

Beal will next appear at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, May 18 when jurors will begin to hear from expert witnesses.