Evil teacher who lured boyfriend for sex before stabbing him to death & burying body in garden ‘like rubbish’ is jailed
A SADISTIC teacher who lured her boyfriend for sex before stabbing him to death and burying his body in the garden has been jailed.
Fiona Beal, 50, used cable ties to restrain Nicholas Billington to the bed then knifed him in the neck.
Once she had murdered him "in cold blood", the monster wrapped his body up and buried him in the garden of her Northampton home like "building waste".
She then pretended to be her boyfriend in messages sent from his phone in a move that was "as heartless as it was self-serving".
The Year 6 teacher also bought a large fleece blanket, a vibrator and a herb grinder for cannabis on Nicholas' Amazon account the night of the killing.
Beal has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years after pleading guilty to murder mid-way through her retrial.
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The Old Bailey heard Nicholas' body lay undiscovered in a makeshift grave for over four months.
During this time, Beal invited his mum Yvonne Valentine over for a Christmas drink.
In a victim impact statement, the mum said: "I remember that the house looked different; the furniture moved, new furniture and ornaments in the front room, which made it look nice.
"But all of this was you covering up that you had killed my son! You moved the furniture to obscure views to the garden - why?? To stop anyone seeing where you had buried my son!
"You sat in your front room with me, having a casual chat with me, having a Christmas drink with me and the whole time, you knew that you had killed my son and buried him only feet from where I was sat."
As Beal's web of lies became more tangled, the court was told her mental health started to deteriorate.
In March 2022 - four months after the murder - police were called to a holiday cabin she had rented in Cumbria amid concerns for her welfare.
Officers discovered journals where Beal outlined her plans under her alter ego "Tulip 22", which showed a "wholly different side to her personality".
Beal told how she lured her partner of 17 years Nicholas to the bedroom after first sharing a bath together.
She said: "While he was in the bath I kept the knife in my dressing gown pocket and then hid it in the drawer next to the bed.
"I bought a chisel, bin bag and cable ties up too. I got him to wear an eye mask."
Beal wrote in one entry: "Still my actions haunt me. I sometimes have to catch myself and remember what I did and then remember my cover story - neither seem convincing."
In another, she said: "It was harder than I thought it would be. Hiding a body was bad. Moving a body is much more difficult than it looks on TV."
The court was told Beal also claimed she was "controlled and manipulated" by Nicholas as she explained "why she killed him as she did".
After finding the diary entries, police launched a probe and discovered Nicholas had not been seen or spoken to since November 1, 2021.
At the time, Beal had claimed she was isolating for Covid to buy herself at least ten days without anyone visiting.
During this time, Beal was captured on CCTV at a B&Q in Northampton buying supplies used to bury Nicholas.
She also used the break to buy "multiple items" to help her dispose of his body.
The court heard that after killing the builder, Beal wrapped his body up and dragged him down the stairs despite his 14st frame.
She then buried him in the garden in a "de facto coffin" made of breeze blocks, timber and sheets.
Beal also added a plant pot for "decorative effect", jurors heard.
Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC said: "This was a major job, requiring her to plan what was needed, order it, collect it, burn other incriminating material in an incinerator in the garden and carry on throughout as if nothing remarkable was occurring.
"The body was partly decomposed, indeed mummified and on its back. The head was wrapped in black plastic, a knotted hose pipe, cable and plastic ties were in the same area."
The prosecutor said Beal had "planned to and had killed [Nicholas] in a ruthless manner".
Nicholas' mum slams 'pure evil' killer
Yvonne Valentine recalled the last time she saw her son when she ran into him with Beal in Tesco on October 18, 2021.
In a victim impact statement read to court, she said: "I remember being happy to see you both together and that you gave me a hug but it never crossed my mind that you were quietly and secretly planning to kill Nick."
After Mr Billingham was killed, Ms Valentine sent texts to him and Beal which went unanswered.
She said: "I now know that Nick could not reply to my message and that he will never reply to any of my messages again because you killed him and buried him in the garden…like rubbish.
"During December 2021, I heard from family that Nick had left Fiona, moved away from Northampton and was living in Essex with someone called Faye.
"I remember feeling very surprised to hear this news and felt that it was strange for him to have done that.
"I didn't know it at the time but this was the start of your deceit to cover up that you had killed Nick - the text messages sent from Nick's phone, the cruel lies you spread to everyone and all so that you could hide that you had killed Nick.
"You were exceptionally evil and cruel to send me text messages from my then-murdered son's phone, convincing me that it was Nick updating me that he had left Northampton, that he was living with another woman and doing a job he loved again.
"You planned it so that these messages would convince me that my son was happy.
"And it worked and as any mother would be, I was happy in the knowledge that my son was safe and happy."
Conscious that he had left Beal before Christmas, Ms Valentine said she wanted to ensure she was OK and visited her home on December 23.
She said: "I shouldn't have been bothered or concerned about you, should I?
"I remember that the house looked different; the furniture moved, new furniture and ornaments in the front room, which made it look nice.
"But all of this was you covering up that you had killed my son.
"You moved the furniture to obscure views to the garden - why? To stop anyone seeing where you had buried my son.
"You sat in your front room with me, having a casual chat with me, having a Christmas drink with me and the whole time, you knew that you had killed my son and buried him only feet from where I was sat.
"I felt sad and embarrassed that my son had left you, but I shouldn't have wasted my energy and concern on you, you had planned it all and at no point have you ever given me the same consideration or thought about the devastation you caused by killing my son."
She said Mr Billingham had been her first born and a "beautiful little boy with a cheeky smile" who was loved by family, friends and colleagues.
The mum added: "The loss and emptiness that I feel is unimaginable and so very unreal, it is hard to put words to my feelings."
Addressing Beal, she continued: "You are a coward; you killed Nick in his home, on his bed and have never done the decent thing and told us exactly what you did.
"You are evil. You killed Nick and then spun a web of cruel lies and deceit, even to your own daughter.
"You lied and deceived me, you spread rumour and deceit to his friends and work colleagues, all the while knowing that it would get back to us.
"You even lied to your own family.
"Your whole intention in feeding these lies, and deceit was to protect yourself, all you cared about was your own self-preservation and doing anything in your power to show Nick in a bad light.
"You showed no regret in your actions, you instead went online using Nick's money to purchase cleaning and replacement items to cover up that you had killed him.
"You bought everything you used to bury him with his own money, which I find diabolical and disgusting."
She referred to a journal entry from February 2022 in which Beal: "I'm not a total monster, I know what I did."
Ms Valentine said: "Now everyone has heard exactly what you did, they will see you for the evil, total monster you are.
"When I look back over the past two-and-a-half years since you killed my son, it is with horror and disgust at your evil deception. You planned everything. You were a coward.
She added: "I want you to remember that he will always be loved and that he will always be missed.
"You are pure evil."
His murder and subsequent cover-up were committed while she continued "to deliver high-quality teaching to Year 6 pupils as if nothing had happened", Mr Davies said.
He added: "Ancient Egyptians buried Pharaohs with their treasure. Nick Billingham was unceremoniously entombed with his building waste and unwanted old bedsheets and blankets.
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"It demonstrated nothing but complete contempt."
Beal's original trial collapsed last June when it emerged a key defence witness was a court custody officer who had conducted welfare checks on the killer.
