Woman admits murdering and burying partner

A PRIMARY school teacher accused of stabbing her partner to death “in cold blood” before burying his body in their garden has pleaded guilty to murder.

Fiona Beal, 50, admitted killing 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham, whose partly mummified remains were discovered four-and-a-half months after he was last seen.

Beal, pictured, from Northampton, had initially pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter by reason of a loss of control, but denied murdering Mr Billingham between October 30 and November 10, 2021.

A jury at the Old Bailey heard yesterday she had changed her plea.

Judge Mark Lucraft told Beal: “You have this morning pleaded guilty to murder, which as you have no doubt been told, carries a sentence of life imprisonment.”