Nicholas Billingham death: Former Northampton teacher, Fiona Beal, appears in court charged with murder

A former teacher, charged with the murder of Nicholas Billingham, has appeared at Northampton Crown Court.

A brief plea and trial preparation hearing on Friday, June 24 saw Fiona Beal, aged 48, appear before His Honour Judge David Herbert.

Peter Joyce, prosecuting, informed the court that the defence will be serving three reports onto the prosecution: a psychiatric report, a psychological report and a coercive behaviour report by July 29 this year.

A trial date has been set for September 12, 2022 - pending Beal entering a plea.

Judge Herbert, addressing Beal, said: “You must come to the trial because, if you don’t, the trial will go on in your absence.”

The 48-year-old woman was again remanded in custody.

This follows after Beal was charged with a single count of murder shortly after midnight on Sunday, March 20 after detectives discovered a body buried in the back garden of a house in Kingsley.

The body was uncovered just hours after Beal had been arrested at a hotel in Cumbria and police confirmed the remains to be those of missing 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham.

The remains were taken to Leicester for forensic examination by a Home Office pathologist.