Jurors were told how she subsequently buried his body in the back garden after wrapping him in bin bags and a rug. Mr Billingham’s remains were then discovered four months later by police.

On Mr Billingham’s face was an eye mask that read: “This is my morning after face.” The gruesome discovery was made after a notebook was found by police after Beal attempted suicide a few months after Mr Billingham’s death police said.

In this notebook, Beal allegedly wrote about her alter ego Tulip22. She describes this alter ego as “reckless, fearless, and efficient” and “ruthless”.

The court heard how one entry described an account of how she had planned and killed another; however, the name of the person she had killed was omitted.

The diary allegedly read: “Everything changed last year. There’s a quote from ‘Thelma and Louise’ that feels appropriate, ‘Thelma: “You be sweet to them, especially your wife. My husband wasn’t sweet to me.’

“I suppose I ought to explain what happened to get me to this point. My mental health had been deteriorating. Whenever he was cheating he would up the ante on belittling, moaning and criticising.”

The diary entry continued: “I have to confess. Ok here goes. October 2021. He spat on me and threatened me during sex. I thought about leaving but the things he said and did fuelled my dark side – I call her Tulip22. Tulip22 smoked and planned. I’d planned it mentally so many times before.

“I had a bath. I left the water in. I encouraged the bath with the incentive of sex afterwards. While he was in the bath I kept the knife in my dressing gown pocket and then hid it in the drawer next to the bed.

“I brought a chisel, bin bag and cable ties up too. I got him to wear an eye mask. It was harder than I thought it would be. Hiding a body was bad. Moving a body is much more difficult than it looks on TV.”

Jurors were told Beal had killed Nicholas in their bedroom on November 1, 2021, before wrapping his body up and burying it in the garden. She then allegedly painted and cleaned the room before telling others he had left her.

The court heard how Beal used Mr Billingham’s phone to send messages to friends and work colleagues pretending he was alive; the court heard this included a message to his mother.

Prosecutor Steven Perian KC said these texts showed Beal’s “true cunning, cruel, deceptive, and devious nature”. Police discovered Mr Billlingham’s remains after Beal was taken to hospital with superficial wounds.

Upon visiting Beal’s home, they found a bloodied mattress in the basement and Mr Billingham’s remains in the garden. His cause of death was given as a single stab wound to his neck which had cut through the jugular vein.

The court was told that while Beal admits unlawfully killing Nicholas she denies murder due to her state of mind at the time of the killing.

The trial continues.

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