UK - Nicholas Billingham, 42, body found buried in garden, Northampton, Mar 2022 *arrest*

[Cherwell]

Much of the family's evidence about Nick being controlling appears to be hearsay that has come from FB.

 

[Tortoise]

Surely it should be easy enough to ascertain whether/when he had food delivered to his house by checking his credit card statements

Yes but she was using his phone and his bank card after his death don't forget. She could have ordered food for one person and used his card.

 

[Dotta]

Yes but she was using his phone and his bank card after his death don't forget. She could have ordered food for one person and used his card.

But surely Police know more or less the time he died, no?
So it would be easy to check the time and who really used the card.

JMO

 

[AcbMurders]

But surely Police know more or less the time he died, no?
So it would be easy to check the time and who really used the card.

JMO

Yes, when the trial started, it was stated that:

Prosecutors allege Beal stabbed 42-year-old Billingham in the neck on 1 November 2021 in the main bedroom of their home in Moore Street, Northampton, after hiding a knife in a drawer.

If the takeaway order was placed before then, she might be telling the truth. Otherwise, she lied, whether the food order was placed or not. What if, N’s refusing her food and getting a takeaway instead was the proverbial last straw…

Fiona Beal: teacher was mentally ‘broken’ when she killed her partner, trial hears

Defence claims Beal had been in a coercive relationship with Nicholas Billingham, who she stabbed and buried in back garden

www.theguardian.com

 

[Tortoise]

But surely Police know more or less the time he died, no?
So it would be easy to check the time and who really used the card.

JMO

They don't have a time for his murder. They say the evidence suggests she killed him on November 1st.

 

[Tortoise]

Yes, when the trial started, it was stated that:

Prosecutors allege Beal stabbed 42-year-old Billingham in the neck on 1 November 2021 in the main bedroom of their home in Moore Street, Northampton, after hiding a knife in a drawer.

If the takeaway order was placed before then, she might be telling the truth. Otherwise, she lied, whether the food order was placed or not.

Fiona Beal: teacher was mentally ‘broken’ when she killed her partner, trial hears

Defence claims Beal had been in a coercive relationship with Nicholas Billingham, who she stabbed and buried in back garden

www.theguardian.com

I would say it seems really unlikely they were arguing (and eating separately) that evening, with how she planned to (and did) lure him to his death.

 

[AcbMurders]

I would say it seems really unlikely they were arguing (and eating separately) that evening, with how she planned to (and did) lure him to his death.

I’m not saying the food refusal turned into an argument there and then, but it might have been just one more reason (however extreme) for her to think ‘enough is enough’

 

[Tortoise]

Much of the family's evidence about Nick being controlling appears to be hearsay that has come from FB.

I have to keep reminding myself that FB is the defendant and not Facebook.

 

[Sarahlou]

Much of the family's evidence about Nick being controlling appears to be hearsay that has come from FB.

Yep. I have a hard time believing anything she says.

 

[Cherwell]

Surely it should be easy enough to ascertain whether/when he had food delivered to his house by checking his credit card statements

Regardless of anything else, ordering a takeaway wouldn't prove anything. The scenario could be that she was cooking something that he didn't like.
I don't like fish, but that doesn't mean nobody else can have a fish dinner. I would say,
"You go ahead, I'll just get a takeaway."
An opportunity to have something that they don't like! Win win.

 

[Marysmith]

Regardless of anything else, ordering a takeaway wouldn't prove anything. The scenario could be that she was cooking something that he didn't like.
I don't like fish, but that doesn't mean nobody else can have a fish dinner. I would say,
"You go ahead, I'll just get a takeaway."
An opportunity to have something that they don't like! Win win.

Right? Like this constitutes the death penalty? I can’t see how she won’t be found guilty. She had many, many other choices. She chose to murder him.

 

[AcbMurders]

Can someone explain how they work out/who decides how long a trial is going to take? 5 weeks for this one seems a lot, when much more complex murder cases are allocated less time

 

[Dotta]

Right? Like this constitutes the death penalty? I can’t see how she won’t be found guilty. She had many, many other choices. She chose to murder him.

She seems seriously mentally disturbed
(TO ME).

What about the suicide attempt?

Doesn't it look staged?
I mean - the worrying note sent to her family which then notified Police.
And surprise, surprise - they came in time to save her.

How is it possible nobody saw red flags in her behaviour?

And she worked with kids!

JMO

 

[Tortoise]

Can someone explain how they work out/who decides how long a trial is going to take? 5 weeks for this one seems a lot, when much more complex murder cases are allocated less time

I've seen an estimate of 3-4 weeks, with a pause over Easter.

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/crime/nicholas-billingham-trial-of-former-northampton-teacher-fiona-beal-set-to-start-in-march-4050015

 

[AcbMurders]

So we could be entering the third and final week of the trial… I wonder if F will testify

 

[Luwin]

I hope she does

 

[Tortoise]

[...]

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?”

[...]

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.

[...]

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. [...]

...“So every bit of information you have about their relationship has come from Fiona?”

snipped for copyright

Fiona Beal’s sister questioned about claims victim was ‘belittling’ and ‘controlling’

The prosecuting barrister argued that Beal’s sister had not seen the couple in person since 2018 and most of what she knew about their relationship was hearsay

www.northamptonchron.co.uk

 

[AcbMurders]

This is all I can post due to copyright restriction but the whole article is worth reading.

Another defence witness making F’s position worse, not better. JMOO.

(…)
Mark Phillips, who is the partner of the defendant’s sister, Jennifer Beal. He is a solicitor who has known of Nicholas Billingham since becoming Beal’s sister's partner around 12 years ago but has only met the victim in person on six occasions.

(…) in November 2021, Beal asked him for advice about transferring the ownership of the Moore Street house into her name after she said Mr Billingham left her for another woman. Mr Phillips said he did not think Beal knew of Mr Billingham’s whereabouts.

(…)

Murder-acused primary school teacher was under ‘financial distress’, Northampton Crown Court hears

Fiona Beal’s brother-in-law told the court that she asked him for advice about transferring the ownership of the Kingsley home to her name after she told family that Mr Billingham left her

www.northamptonchron.co.uk

 

[AcbMurders]

(…)
Police Community Support Officer Noemi Mrella was tasked with trying to contact Mr Billingham after his van was found “abandoned” under some trees which needed to be pruned.
(…)
“Once I obtained the (registered keeper’s) address I did a door-knock at 71 Moore Street on the 6th of February 2021.

“A white female opened the door… and stated that Mr Billingham was her ex-partner and they had been separated recently.

“The female was dressed in a robe and she had an expression on her face when she opened her door that I can describe as a kind of shock.”

Teacher accused of body-in-garden murder ‘shocked’ when PCSO called, trial told

A woman who answered Fiona Beal’s door is alleged to have told the officer she had no idea where Nicholas Billingham was.

uk.news.yahoo.com

More from another article:

(…)
Recounting what she was told after she informed the woman the van could be damaged, the PCSO’s statement went on: “She did not have any idea where he is and she doubts if he is in Northampton at all.
(…)
“
She had tried to reach him by phone and he must have changed his number.”
The court heard the woman who answered the door said she had tried to reach Mr Billingham “multiple times because she still had some of his belongings inside the house”.

Teacher accused of body-in-garden murder ‘shocked’ when PCSO called, trial told

A woman who answered Fiona Beal’s door is alleged to have told the officer she had no idea where Nicholas Billingham was.

www.expressandstar.com

 

[Luwin]

Did she move the van to make it appear abandoned? Otherwise if it was parked nearby, wouldn't other people have disbelieved what they were told about him upping and leaving with someone else?