A woman accused of murdering her elderly husband wrote the words 'Bye, bye' on a calendar just hours after he was found fatally injured in their kitchen, a jury has been told.
The Fatal Afternoon in Prestwich
Daryl Berman, 71, is alleged to have attacked her 84-year-old husband, David Berman, at their home in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, on 13 March. The court heard that police initially accepted her account that his death was a tragic accident, where he fell onto a paring knife he was carrying on a lunch tray.
Giving evidence at Manchester Crown Court, Berman described hearing her husband 'stumble or slip' in the kitchen after he had taken her lunch tray. She said she heard a second noise 'like a groan' before finding him face down and motionless on the floor. She dialled 999 and performed CPR until paramedics arrived shortly before 2pm.
Despite resuscitation attempts, the retired joiner and great-grandfather was pronounced dead around 40 minutes later. Berman told the jury she felt 'numb' and later cradled his body on the kitchen floor for her 'last moments with him'.
A Calendar Entry Raises Suspicion
The court's attention was drawn to an entry made on a calendar in the couple's home on the day of David Berman's death. Under cross-examination from her defence barrister, Michael Hayton KC, Berman confirmed she had written 'Bye, bye, two kisses and a heart'.
She stated she made the entry 'when everyone had gone and I was ready for bed', explaining she also marked the anniversaries of her parents' deaths on the calendar. Following the incident, some family members reportedly found her manner to be 'matter of fact' and 'emotionless'.
Pathologists Challenge Accident Theory
Initial police suspicions were allayed, and the death was referred to the coroner. However, the case was re-examined after two forensic pathologists conducted separate post-mortems.
Dr Philip Lumb found the fatal chest wound, located near the armpit, was 'very unlikely' to have been caused by an accidental fall and was characteristic of an attack with a bladed weapon. His opinion was supported by Dr Christopher Johnson, who said the injury was 'entirely' typical of a homicidal stab wound.
Mr Berman was also found to have suffered a defensive wound to his middle finger, often seen when someone tries to fend off a sharp weapon. In contrast, retired pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who has worked on high-profile cases including that of Princess Diana, described it as an 'extremely unusual, atypical' domestic stabbing. He said the death was more likely an accident but could not rule out homicide.
A Marriage and Declining Health
The jury heard the couple had been married for 27 years. Berman described how her husband's health had declined, making him 'a lot frailer' and unsteady on his feet, requiring a walking stick. He had suffered previous falls, undergone hip procedures, and become more forgetful, but she insisted: 'I loved him and just wanted to take care of him.'
Daryl Berman denies one count of murder. The trial continues.
