Documentary recounts major murder investigation in Northampton
It explores the Fiona Beal case.
One of Northamptonshire Police’s most high-profile murder investigations will be featured in a documentary tonight (Tuesday, 20th January).
"Killer in the House: The Murder of Nicholas Billingham" revisits the shocking events of March 2022 when 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham’s body was discovered buried in the garden of the home he had shared with primary school teacher Fiona Beal on Moore Street, Kingsley, Northampton.
Beal completed the horrific crime months earlier, stabbing Billingham to death and burying him in the garden on or after 1st November 2021.
Days prior to the body’s discovery, police located Beal in a remote lodge in Cumbria where she was found in a bathtub with self-inflicted wrist injuries. Initially, officers did not suspect foul play until they uncovered a journal in the cabin. The journal revealed details that led them to blood-stained bedding as well as Billingham’s remains at Beal’s home address, where it had gone undiscovered for five months.
Fiona Beal’s original trial at Northampton Crown Court in 2024 lasted four months but eventually collapsed. Before a retrial at the Old Bailey could begin that April, Beal pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The prosecution described the killing as a "carefully planned domestic execution."
Northamptonshire Police collaborated with Mentorn Media, a prominent TV production company, shortly after the case emerged. The programme features interviews with key people involved in the investigation, including police officers, prosecution counsel, and members of Billingham’s family.
Supt Adam Pendlebury, formerly the Chief Inspector within the Major Investigation Team and senior investigating officer for Op Key, said:
“This was an extraordinary case and it was no surprise when we were approached very early on to work with Mentorn Media on this documentary for ITV. It has been an interesting experience and the team and I viewed a first cut of the programme some months ago and were pleased with the end result.”