A primary school teacher who stabbed her partner to death and buried his body in their garden has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.
Fiona Beal, 50, pleaded guilty to murdering Nicholas Billingham in April and was sentenced at the Old Bailey by Judge Mark Lucraft on Thursday.
The partly mummified remains of 42-year-old Mr Billingham were found in Northampton in March 2022, more than four months after he was last seen alive.
Judge Lucraft imposed a mandatory life sentence and said Beal must serve 20 years in jail before being considered for parole.
Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC had read out a letter Mr Billingham had written to Beal as part of couples counselling after he had an affair during their 17-year relationship.
In the letter, Mr Billingham accepted his faults and described Beal as “kind hearted”, “generous” and “the most beautiful woman in the world”.
He wrote: “I promise to never again belittle you or make you feel rubbish again.
“My body, my heart, my love has been yours since the day I met you and will be until the day I die. I love you with all my heart.”
Source Agencies
