Primary school teacher allegedly stabbed BF to death, feigned Covid and used 10-day isolation to bury him in makeshift grave

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM: Fiona Beal, 50, a primary school teacher from Northampton, England, stands accused of murdering her boyfriend and then fabricating a Covid-19 diagnosis to buy herself time to bury him in their garden.

The chilling details emerged during the trial at the Old Bailey, revealing a meticulously planned crime that left builder Nick Billingham, 42, dead.

Insights into the tragic murder of Nick Billingham

According to the prosecution, Beal lured Billingham into their bedroom for sex before fatally stabbing him in the neck on November 1, 2021. The court heard that the suspect had premeditated the murder, purchasing a knife in advance for the grisly act.

After committing the crime, Beal allegedly informed her friends that both she and Billingham had tested positive for Covid-19. This ruse, prosecutors claim, was orchestrated to ensure she wouldn't be disturbed while she buried her victim in their Northampton home's garden.

Months later, on March 19, 2022, Billingham's mummified body was discovered wrapped in sheeting in a makeshift grave after the police obtained Beal's journals, where she plotted the killing under her alter ego "Tulip22."

Moreover, she purportedly used his phone to send messages to his friends and relatives pretending he was alive and had moved in with another woman.

Defense claims 'loss of control' while prosecution alleges calculated murder

Beal admits to manslaughter but denies the charge of murder, citing "loss of control" as her defense. The prosecution, however, paints a different picture, alleging that Beal's actions were calculated and methodical. 

"On 1 November she manufactured a positive Covid test result- all you had to do was complete the NHS questionnaire online app self-report a positive test," said prosecutor Hugh Davies," as reported by Daily Mail.

He added, "There is no evidence she ever did a PCR test. Her actions in the next 10 days are wholly inconsistent with having the exhausting effects of Covid which she was claiming to be experiencing."

"She murdered him in their bedroom late on November 1. The clean-up started as early as 01.07 am on November 2. Using her dead partner's account, and then hers on Amazon, she bought multiple cleaning products, including for Venetian blinds, a new mop and bucket, ultra heavy-duty bin bags, a new mattress, bedding, clothing, wall art, and mirrors," continued Davies.

The prosecutor stressed, "This is considered, controlled, conduct that is on the one hand intrinsically practical, and on the other indulgent. It is the more so given she must literally have watched her partner bleed to death in front of her."

Throughout the trial, the court heard contrasting narratives from both the prosecution and the defense.

While the prosecution portrays Beal, who was in a relationship with Billingham for 17 years, as a cold-blooded killer who carefully orchestrated the crime, the defense argues that she was a victim of coercive control and suffered from mental health issues.

"The way he was wrapped, with cables, hosepipe, and plastic bags, building detritus afforded him no dignity in death. It shows utter contempt. She now claims to have forgotten most of the month of November 2021- the prosecution invites you to reject that claim. It is another instrumental lie designed to avoid conviction for murder," claimed Davies.

As the trial unfolds, the jury faces the daunting task of unraveling the truth behind this harrowing case. With testimonies from psychologists, psychiatrists, and witnesses, the court seeks to determine Beal's state of mind and the circumstances leading to Billingham's tragic demise.

The trial is expected to continue for six weeks.