Fiona Beal Trial: Victim was ‘over-friendly’ says witness in Northampton murder trial

A witness has told a trial that a man, who was fatally stabbed by his primary school teacher partner, made him feel “uneasy” because he was “over-friendly.”

Former Eastfield Academy teacher, Fiona Beal, aged 49, is standing trial for the murder of her partner 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham. She admits fatally stabbing him in their Moore Street home on November 1, 2021 and burying him in their garden, where he remained for four months until Beal’s arrest in March 2022.

The 49-year-old denies murder, however, due to diminished responsibility and loss of control, claiming that she was in a “coercive” relationship with the victim.

The latest witness today (June 19) was the husband of one of Beal’s long term friends. He told Northampton Crown Court that he first met Beal when he began seeing his now wife around 20 years ago.

He said he met Mr Billingham for the first time around two years after he was introduced to Beal when the couple moved into their Earls Barton house and hosted a barbecue on a Saturday afternoon.

Gareth Weetman, defending Beal, asked the witness about his first impression of Mr Billingham.

“He seemed very nice,” the witness said, “but I felt uneasy because, three minutes after I met him, he was very touchy feely, putting his arm around me. He stood very very closely and just tried to be over-friendly.”

The witness said that he used to see Beal more frequently in earlier years but “scarcely” saw her in more recent years. He said he met Mr Billingham probably around three or four times in total.

When questioned about other occasions he met Mr Billingham, the witness told the court: “I can't remember exact times and places but he came round to our house once or twice and he was very much the same.

“There was our wedding that Fiona and Nick both came to and, again, very much the same and it just made me feel a bit uneasy.”

Steven Perian KC, prosecuting, asked the witness to give examples of Mr Billingham’s “overfriendliness.”

The witness described Mr Billingham putting his arm around him and guiding him towards the drinks.

No further evidence will be heard until Wednesday, June 21.