Teacher admits to murdering and burying boyfriend
The Guardian|April 27, 2024
A woman pleaded guilty yesterday to the murder of her boyfriend, whom she had buried in their back garden.
Jessica Murray
Teacher admits to murdering and burying boyfriend

Fiona Beal, 50, was on trial at the Old Bailey in London for the murder of Nicholas Billingham, 42, whose partly mummified remains were discovered in March 2022, more than four months after he was last seen alive.

Beal, a primary schoolteacher, had been accused of tying up Billingham and stabbing him to death "in cold blood" before burying his body in their Northampton garden.

She had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of a loss of control but had denied murdering Billingham between 30 October and 10 November 2021.

After changing her plea partway through the trial, she will be sentenced next month.

Beal was arrested in March 2022 after police discovered the body and her actions were uncovered by the police through entries in her diary.

This story is from the April 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the April 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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