Fiona Beal Trial: Nicholas Billingham died as a result of stab wound to neck at Northampton home, says pathologist

Nicholas Billingham died as a result of a stab wound to the right side of his neck, Northampton Crown Court hears.

Dr Francis Hollingbury is the pathologist who compiled Mr Billingham’s final post mortem report in August 2022 following his alleged murder, which former Eastfield Academy teacher Fiona Beal is currently standing trial for.

On Thursday (March 16) - day four of Beal’s trial - Dr Hollingbury told the court that, when she examined the body recovered from the rear garden of the Moore Street property, she was aware that police believed the body to belong to 42-year-old Nicholas Billingham.

Dr Hollingbury said she was told Mr Billingham had three distinctive tattoos, which she was able to identify on the body immediately. Mr Billingham’s partially mummified body was, however, formally identified by his dental records.

The court heard that - after the plastic bin bags, duct tape, cable ties and plastic ties had been removed from Mr Billingham’s body, he was wearing a striped blue dressing gown with a cigarette lighter in his left pocket.

There was also a sleep mask concealing his eyes, which had written on it: “This is my morning after face.”

Dr Hollingbury said the cause of Mr Billingham’s death was due to a single 5-6cm deep and 3.7cm wide stab wound to the right side of his neck. She said the track from this stab wound travelled from the right to the left of the victim’s neck, cutting his right jugular vein and slicing his oesophagus and trachea.

The pathologist, giving evidence, said this stab wound would not have been “immediately incapacitating.”

Dr Hollingbury told the court: “There is no reason why he would not have been able to act or react in the minutes after his injury was sustained before collapsing as a result of blood loss.”

What the expert witness said was “of note” was Mr Billingham’s lungs, which had a “checkerboard appearance.” His lungs showed splodges of dark in lighter areas, evidencing that he may have breathed in blood before his death.

The blood in Mr Billingham’s stomach also indicated that he had swallowed some blood prior to his death.

Dr Hollingbury additionally identified some bruising on the back of one of Mr Billingham’s wrists.

None of these injuries were, however, considered to be defensive in nature, the trial heard. This means that the pathologist could not spot any injuries suggesting that Mr Billingham made attempts to defend himself.

There was no pathology evidence to sustain that Mr Billingham fought against the cable ties on his body. While there was no evidence to suggest that he was alive when the cable ties were applied, Dr Hollingway could not exclude that possibility.

Tests showed that Mr Billingham was not under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other medication at the time of his death.

There was no evidence of any natural disease process that could have caused or contributed to his death.

Dr Hollingway said that she is unable to determine when exactly Mr Bililngham died but the level of his body’s decomposition was in keeping with a number of months prior to being found.

The trial continues.