A primary school teacher has appeared in court charged with murdering a missing man after his body was discovered buried in her back garden.

       Fiona Beal, 48, is accused of killing Nicholas Billingham, 42, between 30 October and 10 November last year after his remains were unearthed at her home in Northampton.

       She appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday where she spoke only to confirm her name, age and address.

       Beale was remanded in custody following the brief two-minute hearing and will appear at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday.

       She was arrested shortly after midnight on 16 March at a hotel in Cumbria, more than 200 miles away from her terraced house on Moore Street, in the Kingsley area of the town.

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       Her arrest came the same day police began conducting an extensive search of the home.

       Northamptonshire Police revealed forensic officers had discovered Mr Billingham’s body buried in the back garden on 19 March following four days of digging.

       It came after specialist search teams, including a cadaver dog, were deployed to the address and conducted a search of the entire property.

       Specialist search teams, including a cadaver dog, carry out a search of a house in Moore Street, Kingsley, Northampton, following the discovery of a man’s body in the rear garden

       (Jacob King/PA)

       The force said the remains of Mr Billingham will be taken to Leicester for further examination by a Home Office pathologist.

       Parents of children taught by Beal expressed their shock after police confirmed she had been charged with murder.

       One mother wrote on Facebook: “So sad and shocking news. She was my son’s teacher.”

       Another parent said: “This is terrible. My daughter’s teacher”, while a third added: “Very sad, was my son’s teacher.”

       The body of missing man Nicholas Billingham is removed from a property in Moore Street, Kingsley, Northampton, following its discovery in the rear garden four months after he went missing

       (Jacob King/PA)

       Detective Chief Inspector Adam Pendlebury, of Northamptonshire Police, said over the weekend: “Regrettably, I can confirm that a body has been found in the rear garden of the address.

       “We believe it to be that of a missing 42-year-old male, but formal identification has yet to take place.

       “Police officers have been conducting house-to-house inquiries in the area over the past couple of days.

       “This remains a complex and challenging investigation and we are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 26 of March 16, 2022.”

       Additional reporting by SWNS