Jury begins deliberations in trial of Swindon man accused of manslaughter of wife
Tarryn Baird took her own life in 2017
The jury has retired to start its deliberations in the trial of a man accused of the manslaughter of his wife, who took her own life after he is alleged to have subjected her to a “tsunami” of domestic, violent and sexual abuse.
Christopher Trybus, of Swindon, Wiltshire, is accused of the manslaughter of Tarryn Baird, who died of hanging in November 2017.
The 44-year-old also faces charges at Winchester Crown Court of controlling and coercive behaviour and two charges of rape.
The coercive control charge alleges that Trybus controlled Ms Baird through using and threatening violence towards her, sexually assaulting her, monitoring her whereabouts, limiting access to finance, threatening to reveal private information to her family and isolating her from her family.
Tom Little KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Trybus carried out “extensive and escalating controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour, including sexual violence of two rapes and other sexual assaults”.
He continued: “It took place over a sustained period of time behind closed doors and all of it during the course of a marriage.
“It led ultimately in November 2017 to a woman in just her thirties and whose name is Tarryn Baird, taking her own life by hanging.
“She was the defendant’s wife and the prosecution say that the defendant is legally responsible for her death.”
Trybus denies the offences and claims his wife made the allegations as the result of her mental health issues including a probable diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she witnessed violent car-jackings in South Africa, where the couple grew up.
The defendant, who runs an IT business, also states that he was out of the country when some of the incidents were alleged to have taken place.