Murder of David Berman: A 27-Year Marriage Ends in Tragedy
Daryl Berman, 72, has been convicted of murdering her husband David, 84, at their detached home on a leafy Prestwich street. The couple had been married for more than 27 years and were described by friends as devoted. Their Facebook profile pictures showed beaming smiles and classy outfits, and their home appeared symbolic of a happy family life. But on March 13 last year, it became an inexplicable murder scene.
Detectives could find no motive for the killing. David, a self-employed joiner, had only retired months before his death. He was beginning to have falls and was becoming increasingly forgetful, with early diagnoses of dementia. Daryl, a trained counsellor and volunteer with the Samaritans, told Minshull Street Crown Court: “I loved him… I just wanted to look after him and care for him.”
Two Trials, One Verdict
Jurors at a first trial in December were unable to reach a verdict. After 13 hours and 38 minutes of deliberations, the second murder trial ended with a guilty verdict, with a majority of 11 to one. Daryl has now been sent to Styal Prison. The conviction leaves as many questions as answers for those who knew the couple.
Heatwave Hits Greater Manchester
Glorious sunshine is basking over the country, but temperatures are getting extreme. Early forecasts suggested 39C in Manchester, but the Met Office has since wound forecasts down to 34C. An amber warning for extreme heat covers Greater Manchester until Friday night, while parts of southern England and Wales have a more severe red alert, with 37C forecast in London today.
The heatwave has led to school closures, travel disruption, and comparisons to the summer of 1976. At the Manchester Evening News HQ, a social team ran an experiment to see which frozen treat—Magnum, Solero, or Twister—would fare best in the scorching sunshine. The result was a lot of mess to clean up.
Take That Tour Chaos at Etihad Stadium
Devoted fans of Take That have been enjoying the Circus tour, which rolled into Manchester over the weekend. But one mother-and-daughter duo did not have the same happy experience. Bronte Thomas believed she had a wheelchair available for her mum Michelle after speaking to the Etihad Stadium in advance. Yet the pair endured a miserable evening as they were surrounded by police, had their car searched by sniffer dogs, and were left to wait 90 minutes amid scenes of ‘mayhem’ before the gig.
“I couldn't believe what was happening,” Bronte said. “My mum was so stressed and was crying. She felt like her disability meant she was a burden. It felt very heavy handed for such a basic situation and accessible needs.”
Another Disgraced GMP Officer
The M.E.N. has reported on several Greater Manchester Police officers leaving the force in disgrace. The latest is former sergeant Andrew Beard, who had sex with a detective he supervised in a car—then told her to ‘f*** off then’. A misconduct hearing revealed a slew of ‘offensive, inappropriate and unprofessional’ messages which proved to be his downfall. He resigned from his post before a misconduct hearing where it was ruled he would have been sacked.
Weather and Travel
Thursday: Pretty hot indeed at 34C. Roads: A57 Snake Pass and A5149 Chester Road, Poynton, both closed in both directions for works until July 3; A58 Gerard Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, closed southbound for works from Wigan Road to Bryn Street until November 22; A671 Rochdale Road, Royton, closed northbound for works from Middleton Road to Market Square until January 29, 2027.
