Mother's Eight-Year Nightmare After Daughter Allegedly Driven to Suicide by Abusive Husband
A mother has broken down in tears in court, describing how she has been living in a "nightmare" for eight years after her daughter was allegedly driven to suicide by an abusive husband. Michelle Baird wept as she recounted seeing various injuries on her daughter Tarryn in the run-up to her death, which prosecutors argue was caused by extensive and escalating abuse.
Allegations of Extreme Violence and Control
Christopher Trybus is accused of driving his 34-year-old wife to suicide through repeated rapes, frequent beatings, strangulation with a belt and rope, attacks with a metal pole, and kicking and punching her in the face and abdomen. In an unprecedented legal case, prosecutors assert that Trybus is legally responsible for Tarryn's death, even though he was abroad when she was found dead by hanging in the garage of their Swindon home on November 28, 2017.
Mrs Baird told Winchester Crown Court that she had observed injuries to her daughter's face and arms, but Trybus dismissed her concerns by claiming Tarryn was an alcoholic who kept falling over. Breaking down in tears, the mother stated: "It is just traumatising. This nightmare I have been living for eight years."
Pattern of Coercive and Controlling Behaviour
The court heard how Tarryn's life became increasingly controlled after her marriage. Mrs Baird described her daughter as once "confident and popular," but she "withdrew" following the union. Tarryn had to ask her husband for permission to leave the house and was under strict pressure to ensure lunch and afternoon tea were on the table at precisely 12:15 pm and 3:15 pm every day.
"Tarryn would prepare Christopher's lunch. It had to be on the table at 12:15 pm. Tea time was 3:15 pm, she had to offer him tea and biscuits," Mrs Baird testified. "She would sit in the living room with the doors closed. She did not want to disturb him, she didn't want to make a noise."
Attempts to Conceal the Abuse
Mrs Baird said she questioned Trybus about her daughter's injuries, but he repeatedly blamed Tarryn's drinking and prescription medication use. "The answer I got was she keeps falling, she is drinking, she is taking prescription medication and she does not stop. He told me she was an alcoholic," she recalled.
Tarryn also hid the abuse from her family, withdrawing from them starting in late 2015 or early 2016. "She would always say she was fine. She said she was experiencing dizzy spells. But she did not want to talk to me, she said, 'If I wanted to tell you, I would tell you'," Mrs Baird added.
Friend's Testimony Reveals Fear and Desperation
Earlier in the trial, the victim's friend Libby Clarke testified that Tarryn had confided about her husband's physical abuse after being hospitalised. Tarryn told Mrs Clarke that police could not get involved because it would "get me killed." Later, she allegedly revealed she had planned to leave her husband but "broke down."
Mrs Clarke recalled: "She said that when Christopher hurt her, it numbed the pain." When asked to clarify, Mrs Clarke explained this referred to "being beaten." The court has previously heard that Tarryn was too afraid to leave her abusive husband, believing suicide was the only escape.
Broader Context and Denials
Mrs Baird also mentioned that the couple had previously attempted to foster a child, but their application was rejected after Trybus admitted he would be prepared to hit a child as reprimand. Trybus, a software consultant, denies charges of manslaughter, coercive or controlling behaviour, and two counts of rape. The trial continues at Winchester Crown Court.
