A man has been jailed for three years for killing his girlfriend by injecting her with heroin at their home in Aston, Birmingham.
Natalie Lloyd-Perks died after boyfriend injected her with heroin
Natalie Lloyd-Perks, 40, a nurse and mother, had been drinking and taking cocaine with Craig Billingsley on the night of November 5, 2024. Unable to find a vein, she asked Billingsley to help administer heroin, which he did. She never woke up the next morning.
Billingsley, 40, now of Gravelly Hill North, Erdington, admitted manslaughter on the first day of his trial and was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, July 3, 2026. Judge Heidi Kubik KC said: "The seriousness and gravity of the offence are such it must be marked with immediate custody."
Relationship and drug use
Ms Lloyd-Perks had only been introduced to heroin during her 18-month relationship with Billingsley, a long-term heroin user. Her mother, Linda Davies, said Billingsley promised to look after her but instead got her 'hooked on drugs'.
On the evening of November 5, 2024, the couple drank alcohol and took cocaine at their home on Arden Road, Aston. Sometime before 1.30am on November 6, Billingsley awoke to find Ms Lloyd-Perks unresponsive. He called 999 in a distressed state and attempted resuscitation. Paramedics arrived and performed CPR for 30 minutes, but she was pronounced dead at 2.17am.
A pathologist concluded she died from a heroin overdose exacerbated by cocaine and alcohol. She had no underlying health conditions.
Court proceedings and victim impact
Billingsley initially confessed to paramedics and police but later denied responsibility until the trial began. He had 11 previous offences, including sexual communication with a child, and had failed to comply with notification requirements.
In a statement, Ms Lloyd-Perks' mother Linda Davies paid tribute to her 'beautiful, intelligent and loving daughter'. She said: "Part of me died that day." She recalled Billingsley promising to look after her daughter, adding: "He didn't did he. He got her hooked on drugs."
Darron Whitehead, defending, said Billingsley was genuinely remorseful and that Ms Lloyd-Perks was 'his rock'. He told the court: "He too looks for her every day to talk to her and she's not there. He too wishes he hadn't woken up that night."
Judge Kubik acknowledged his remorse but noted he lacked the courage to face responsibility until the trial. She emphasised that heroin is a class A drug due to the risks of overdose.
