The grieving mother of a man brutally stabbed to death by his partner has shared the harrowing revelation that she visited their home for pre-Christmas drinks, completely unaware her son was "buried a few feet away" in the garden. Primary school teacher Fiona Beal, 50, fatally stabbed Nicholas Billingham, 42, during what has been described as an apparent sex game, before concealing his body at their Northampton property.
A Chilling Deception Unfolds
The victim's partly mummified remains were discovered four-and-a-half months after he was last seen alive on November 1, 2021. Beal was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison. Now, in a poignant ITV documentary, Mr Billingham's mother, Yvonne Valentine, has recounted the disturbing sequence of events that followed his disappearance.
Ms Valentine explained how she received a text message, seemingly from her son, stating he had left Beal for another woman. "Just weeks after the couple's supposed split," she visited Beal at the home on December 23, 2021, to deliver Christmas gifts, believing everything was normal. "I felt bad because Nick had gone off and it was Christmas," she said. "I had been trying to message Fiona to ask whether it was okay to come round to bring presents."
A Hauntingly Normal Visit
Describing the visit, Ms Valentine noted: "I wouldn't say there were any concerns. I drove round and she just seemed the same as she usually did. Gave me a hug, said 'come in and have a drink'. I walked into the living room and I said 'oh, you been decorating?'. And she said 'yeah, I have'. And I said 'oh it looks okay, quite good'. So she said 'yeah'."
Speaking on 'Killer in the House: The Murder of Nicholas Billingham', which airs on ITV1, Ms Valentine disclosed the devastating truth she learned later. "I spent about an hour there and had a Christmas drink. It walked in and it was hugs, kisses. Little did I know that my son was buried in the ground a few feet away. I still can't get my head round it," she confessed.
An Elaborate Web of Lies
Ms Valentine had not seen her son since the alleged separation but continued to receive messages from his phone, claiming he had moved to Essex with a new girlfriend named Faye and was content. It later emerged that 'Faye' was entirely fabricated by Beal, who was impersonating Mr Billingham via his phone after murdering him.
Reflecting on Beal, Ms Valentine added: "I always remember going round to meet her for the first time. I remember she just seemed quite friendly. I would say that I liked her but I don't think I ever really got to know her that well."
The Cover-Up Begins
Beal initiated her deception on November 1, 2021, texting her school to claim both she and Mr Billingham had contracted Covid-19 and needed to self-isolate. She sent an identical message to Mr Billingham's employer from his phone, posing as him. Days later, she informed her sister via text that the couple had separated. Ms Valentine also received a message, purportedly from her son, stating he had relocated to Essex with 'Faye'.
On Boxing Day, Ms Valentine texted her son to check on his welfare, receiving a reply from his number claiming he was at Old Trafford watching Manchester United play Burnley, before returning to Essex where he was supposedly selling cars.
Suspicions Arise and the Truth Emerges
The first suspicions were raised when a neighbour complained about a van parked in the street, obstructing tree removal after storm damage; the vehicle was identified as belonging to Mr Billingham. Police visited Beal, who maintained that Mr Billingham had left her for his new partner in Essex. Officers, unable to locate him, informed Ms Valentine he was a missing person.
Recalling her reaction, Ms Valentine told the documentary: "I do remember the day when I received a message from the police: 'Your son Nicholas is a missing person'. And it just took me ages for it to sink in. Because I thinking what, how can he be a missing person? I went bananas."
The Murder and Concealment
On the day of his death, Mr Billingham had been working on a house renovation before returning home. That evening, Beal killed him by stabbing him in the neck and disposed of his body in the side return of their property. She then meticulously covered her tracks with the false Covid story and continued sending messages from his phone from November 2 onwards, pretending to be him.
On November 8, Beal messaged her sisters about the split, suggesting he left due to an affair. Upon returning to work, she received sympathy from colleagues aware of the apparent breakup. However, her mental health began to deteriorate in late February 2022.
A Confession in Journals
In a journal entry dated February 12, she wrote: "I'm not a total monster. I know what I did." The following month, she rented a cabin in Cumbria and sent concerning messages to family about her wellbeing, prompting them to alert police. Officers found her with slashed wrists in a bathtub, but she survived. In the cabin, police discovered Beal's journals, which contained a full confession to the killing.
The journals also referenced a split personality and an alter ego she named Tulip 22. She detailed: "I had smoked all day. I had a bath, I left the water in. He had been pushing for sex. I encouraged the bath with the incentive of sex afterwards. While he was in the bath I kept the knife in my dressing gown pocket and then I had it in the drawer next to the bed. I brought a chisel, bin bag and cable ties up too. I got him to wear an eye mask."
She continued: "My last words to him when he asked why was that he was not going to do to (another female) what he had done to me."
The Investigation and Discovery
These journals triggered a police investigation, which confirmed Mr Billingham had not been seen or heard from since November 1, 2021. Beal was arrested in March 2022 after officers discovered his body. Police had initially visited her home on March 16, finding nothing amiss, but returned on March 17 to find a bloodstained mattress in the basement. On March 19, they uncovered more evidence and exhumed Mr Billingham's mummified body, which had been buried in makeshift layers of sheeting and concrete.
A Mother's Unending Grief
Speaking about the murder, Ms Valentine said: "Nick wasn't perfect, I don't know who is, but why would you put somebody through what Beal put him through? There's just no answer. I still think that Nick's going to come and walk through the front door one day and say 'hello mum'. But it's not going to happen, is it?"
Beal pleaded guilty to murder in April 2024 during a retrial at the Old Bailey, after her initial trial at Northampton Crown Court collapsed on its 64th day. During a sentencing hearing in May, prosecutor Hugh Davies KC read aloud a letter Mr Billingham had written to Beal after an affair during their 17-year relationship. In it, Mr Billingham acknowledged his faults, described Beal as "the most beautiful woman in the world", promised never to belittle her again, and declared he loved her "with all my heart".
The documentary 'Killer in the House: The Murder of Nicholas Billingham' airs on ITV1 at 9pm tonight, shedding further light on this tragic case.
