21 March 2023 , 19:13
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A primary school teacher took selfies in her bedroom after murdering her cheating boyfriend and burying him in her garden, a court was told.
Fiona Beal is accused of stabbing Nicholas Billingham, 42, in their bedroom in November 2021 before wrapping him in bin bags and a rug.
Today a jury at Northampton Crown Court was shown a number of photos the 49-year-old had taken of herself in her bedroom.
One of the images shows Beal wearing a black cardigan and a top with a gold spotty dress and smiling as she stands next to a double bed.
Meanwhile neighbours of the couple described her as “bubbly and cheerful” in the weeks before Nicholas’ death.
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Ellen Warren told proceedings: “We went round for dinner for an Indian before. They were fine.
“It was the end of September or October 2021. It was quite good. It was a happy vibe, chatting.“He was quite upbeat and always having a joke. She was quite bubbly.
Neighbours described Beal as "bubbly and cheerful" (Northamptonshire Police / SWNS)
The images were taken in Beal's bedroom (Northamptonshire Police / SWNS)“Really cheerful.”
Mrs Warren added she saw Beal again in the weeks after she is accused of murdering Nicholas.
She told the jury: “Fiona came around to my house just before Christmas. She was a bit down and a bit teary as well.
“She said Nick’s been cheating on her again. I knew he cheated on her before, that’s only what my partner told me.
“I said I'm sorry, and gave her a bit of advice and I told her not to let him back.
“I did invite her around for Christmas drinks, but she never turned up. It was the second week of December.
“[My husband] Gary told me once that he had cheated before but I thought that he was settled now with Fiona.
“He was always outside washing his car or his van.
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“I thought he was going to stick with Fiona and settle down.”
Gary Warren told the court he had worked on building jobs with Nicholas and went to their house to drop off some money for a job he had done.
Mr Warren said: “The last time I saw him was around October 2021 when we finished part of a job together.
“When it got to Thursday 4th November I had not heard from him about work, I went round.
“Fiona answered the door slightly with a face mask. Fiona was very abrupt and shut the door in my face. I did not see or hear Nicholas at all.”
Mr Warren said he received several text messages from Nicholas telling him he had moved away from Northampton to be with another woman.
Nicholas’ cousin James Smith told the court he was a gambler and his relationship with Beal had become strained.
He said: “Nick had said previously that he was depressed and felt suicidal.
“He was a serial cheater. Fiona did take Nick back when founding out he had fathered a child with a younger woman.
“I contacted Nick via Facebook messenger on the 24th November 2021 as I had not heard from him. I asked him: ‘you’ve changed numbers?’
“I got a response from his account the next morning. It read: ‘No just dodging. I've moved away cuz. Things went to s***.’”
Beal admits unlawfully killing Nicholas at their Northampton home but denies murder due to her state of mind at the time.
The trial continues.