Primary school teacher admits killing boyfriend and burying body in garden mid-murder trial
26.04.2024 - 12:55
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A primary school teacher has admitted killing her boyfriend during the middle of a murder trial.
Fiona Beal, 50, suddenly admitted killing Nicholas Billingham and burying him in a garden during a trial at Old Bailey. It heard how Beal visualised stabbing "left to right" before she carried out a "chilling domestic execution".
The remains of 42-year-old were found in Northampton in March 2022, -four months after the man was last seen. Beal lured her boyfriend to the bedroom for sex and then knifed him in the neck when he was tied to the bed in November 1, 2021, jurors were told.
They heard how his mummified body was found dumped inside a makeshift grave after police uncovered where he was left by reading her journals, under her alter ego 'Tulip22'. The teacher used his mobile phone to message his friends and co-workers in a desperate bid to make it look like he was still alive.
A retrial was taking place at the Old Bailey before Beal admitted the murder. She previously pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter by reason of a loss of control.
Beal, who has been described as a "highly capable and highly respected teacher", carefully pretended to be her partner by texting his family and friends, it is alleged, and continued with the lie for months, telling his loved ones he had moved in with another woman as part of a "grand deception."
Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC told the retrial she stabbed her partner in the neck while he was wearing a sleep mask before she "probably" cable-tied him to the bed. He said Beal then "wrapped her dead partner up and dragged him down the stairs, destroying the banister rails upstairs in order to do so" and buried him in the garden of the property.
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