Prestwich pensioner who claimed husband 'fell' on a knife is found guilty of murder
Daryl Berman claimed her husband David suffered a tragic accident
A woman who claimed her husband’s fatal stab wound was sustained from a fall while carrying a tray with a knife has been found guilty of his murder.
Daryl Berman, 72, told the authorities her husband, David, 84, suffered a tragic accident at their home in Prestwich, Manchester, on March 13 last year.
Her account was initially accepted but she was arrested five days later when concerns were raised following a post-mortem examination.
In her police interview, she said Mr Berman had carried her tray with a plate, cup and knife into the kitchen.
She claimed to have heard a sound, like he had fallen, and then he said, ‘It’s OK I slipped’. She said she then heard a groan and ran into the kitchen where she discovered him lying face down.
But pathologists concluded the chest wound was not an accident but was due to an inflicted injury, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
Mr Berman also had a stab wound to his right middle finger which prosecutors said was a common self-defensive injury.
Paramedics attended the couple’s address in Butterstile Lane but were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead just before 2.40pm, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Police later spoke to the defendant on the driveway of her home and she said: “You don’t think I murdered him do you?”
She was said to be “very calm and matter of fact”, the Crown said, and also had little blood on her despite stating she had rolled her husband over.
Her phone was examined after her arrest and investigators noted she had opened her device on the day of her husband’s death at 1.54pm but that the emergency call was not made until 25 seconds later.
Despite instructions from the emergency operator, it was more than six minutes into the call when she began CPR. In the intervening period, she had gone silent for a time and at one point had answered another phone in the same room.
A retrial was ordered after a previous jury was discharged in December when they could not reach a verdict over the allegation.
Sentencing will take place at a later date.
Sazeeda Ismail, of the CPS, said: “Daryl Berman stabbed her husband of 27 years in the chest and intentionally caused his death.
“She lied to paramedics, police and family members when she claimed Mr Berman had accidentally sustained his fatal injuries.
“The jury saw through her lies and convicted her of murder due to the strength of the prosecution’s case.
“My thoughts are with David Berman’s loved ones at this very difficult time.”