Fiona Beal Trial: Sister questioned over claims that Nicholas Billingham was ‘belittling’ and ‘controlling’

The sister of a former Northampton teacher accused of her partner’s murder, was questioned over claims that the victim was “belittling” and “controlling” when she could not give examples of this in court.

Fiona Beal, aged 49, of Moore Street, appeared at Northampton Crown Court today (March 27) for the tenth day of her trial after being accused of murdering her 42-year-old boyfriend Nicholas Billingham and burying him in their rear garden.

The former Eastfield Academy teacher’s older sister, Jennifer Beal, gave the rest of her evidence to Northampton Crown Court this morning following her last witness appearance on Friday, March 24.

She told the court that Beal was “devastated” upon finding out that Mr Billingham got another woman pregnant in 2018.

Jennifer said: “Nick himself carried on as if the pregnancy didn’t exist.”

Andrew Wheeler KC, defending Beal, said: “Putting the affair to one side, the relationship between Fiona and Nick - which again, to use your words, - ‘Fiona described as poor’. Nick had bad debt coming into the relationship and throughout the relationship, he wasn’t good with money and did not prioritise spending well, he would change cars even if that was not the right thing to do financially at the time, he had a history of gambling, lacked responsibility to commitment and was critical on a regular basis of Fiona.”

Beal’s sister responded, “Yes.”

Mr Wheeler asked Jennifer if it was fair that she saw Mr Billingham as a “neat freak.”

She told the court that Mr Billingham would regularly shout at Beal for not cleaning the house, make “belittling comments” and “put her down.” She added that he called Beal “lazy” during the coronavirus pandemic for not taking care of her appearance.

Jennifer said that her sister was not comfortable speaking to her when Mr Billingham was in the house and would, as a result, take calls in their garden or say that she needed to hang up when he got home.

Beal’s sister said that she viewed Mr Billingham as “controlling” in his relationship with the defendant.

When asked if the Beal family warmed to Mr Billingham, Jennifer replied yes and added: “We involved him and accepted him.”

Steven Perian KC, prosecuting, later referred the witness back to her statement, which she made in March 2022 following her sister’s arrest.

It read: “As a family, Nick was not someone we warmed to.”

Jennifer said that she believes Mr Billingham warmed to their family “to an extent” but declined invitations to socialise with them and did not like to accept gifts, including a designer T-shirt she bought him for Christmas one year.

Jennifer said: “It is a bit rude to return gifts.”

The court heard that Mr Billingham’s vehicles were purchased in Beal’s name because Mr Billingham did not have a credit card rating and Beal took out a £20,000 loan in June 2021 to lift the pressures of debt.

Mr Perian asked Jennifer who informed her of the above and she replied, “Fiona.”

The prosecution barrister said: “You believed her about Nick’s credit card rating just like you believed her when she said he left her for another woman?”

Jennifer said yes and, when asked why, she said because Mr Billingham had left Beal for other women in the past.

Mr Perian asked Jennifer to provide examples of when Mr Billingham made belittling comments towards Beal.

“I can’t think of any examples right now,” she responded.

She then began to recall an occasion when she brought lunch round to their Earls Barton home and Mr Billingham was hoovering while they were still eating and told them they were making a mess.

“Where is the belittling comment?” asked Mr Perian. She could not answer.

When asked about Mr Billingham’s spending, Jennifer told the court that Mr Billingham insisted on changing their Ford KA to get something “flashy” even though Beal was “quite happy with the little red car.”

When asked about how Mr Billingham was controlling, she said that he would find it unfair when Beal is at home for the school holidays while he was working so he would take unpaid leave.

“That, would you say, is an element of control?” Mr Perian questioned the witness.

The court heard that Jennifer had not seen her sister and Mr Billingham together since 2018 - three years before his alleged murder.

Mr Perian asked Jennifer: “So every bit of information you have about their relationship has come from Fiona?”

“Yes,” Jennifer confirmed.

The trial continues.