Northampton murder accused 'nervous' when PCSO knocked on door

Nicholas Billingham's remains were found months after he was allegedly murdered by his girlfriend Fiona Beal

A woman accused of murdering her partner appeared "nervous" when a police community support officer (PCSO) called round to her house to ask for a van to be moved, a trial heard.

Fiona Beal denies murdering Nicholas Billingham in Northampton in 2021.

PCSO Noemi Mrella was tasked with trying to contact Mr Billingham after his van was found "abandoned" under some trees which needed to be pruned.

His remains were found four months after he was last seen alive.

Prosecutors at Northampton Crown Court alleged Ms Beal, 49, stabbed Mr Billingham, 42, in the neck with a knife in the bedroom of their Moore Street home, on 1 November 2021.

His body was found under a mound of rubble in the couple's garden.

The defence previously told the court Ms Beal would argue she was mentally "broken" at the time of the killing and is guilty of manslaughter, but not murder.

Police searched Ms Beale's home after arresting her in Cumbria, the court was told

In a statement read to the jury, the PCSO said she knocked at 71 Moore Street in full uniform in February last year.

The officer stated: "A white female opened the door... and stated that Mr Billingham was her ex-partner and they had been separated recently.

"The female was dressed in a robe and she had an expression on her face when she opened her door that I can describe as a kind of shock."

Recounting what she was told after she informed the woman the van could be damaged, the PCSO said: "She did not have any idea where he is and she doubts if he is in Northampton at all.

"She had tried to reach him by phone and he must have changed his number."

Although the officer said the woman's expression had "initially looked like it was shock" at seeing the police, she said she was reassured that she was not in trouble and her body language then suggested she was relieved.

The PCSO's statement continued: "This inquiry only took a couple of minutes. She looked nervous initially.

"However, she did not act in any way that would have suggested anything suspicious or been a cause of concern at the time of my attendance."

The trial continues.