Businessman Accused of Driving Wife to Suicide Enjoyed Rough Sex, Court Hears
A businessman accused of driving his wife to suicide progressively escalated rough sexual behaviour and enjoyed it when she fought back, Winchester Crown Court heard this week. Christopher Trybus, 43, is on trial for manslaughter and for waging extensive, escalating controlling, coercive, and manipulative behaviour, including sexual violence involving two alleged rapes, towards his wife Tarryn Baird, 34.
Diary Entries Reveal Escalating Abuse
In an unprecedented legal case, prosecutors argue Trybus is legally responsible for his wife's death due to a tsunami of abuse, even though he was away when she was found hanged in the garage of their Swindon home on November 28, 2017. Trybus denies all charges.
On Monday, jurors were read entries from Ms Baird's diary, where she described the abuse starting slowly over the years without her realising it. She wrote that something was unleashed after Trybus put his hands around her neck during sex one night. Prosecutor Tom Little detailed her account, stating she noted the line of acceptable behaviour kept moving and had become the new norm.
Ms Baird's diary continued: Progressively sex got rougher and the more I fight back, the more he enjoys it. It's like there was this side of him hidden all these years. She also expressed her isolation, writing: Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors, nobody knows what goes on in my head. Every day is a struggle fighting this darkness and loneliness.
Evidence of Coercive Control and Threats
The court heard that Trybus threatened to reveal private information about Ms Baird's family, adding to her distress. In May 2017, Ms Baird Googled the phrase throat pain after strangulation, indicating ongoing physical harm.
Dorset Police worker Rosemary Latham testified that messages between Ms Baird and a friend were found on the friend's phone but were missing on Ms Baird's device. One message from early 2017 showed Ms Baird asking her friend to provide an alibi, saying: if it ever comes up, please say I was with you today.
Ms Baird worked from home for Trybus's company, handling administration and accounts, which prosecutors suggest gave him further control over her life.
Defence Claims and Trial Continuation
Trybus has insisted he loved and cherished his wife, with his lawyers arguing that her purported domestic abuse injuries resulted from consensual kinky bondage and rough sex. The defence has also suggested Ms Baird had mental health problems and that her suicide was a cry for help that went tragically wrong.
The trial continues as the court examines the complex dynamics of coercive control and its potential role in driving someone to suicide. This case highlights the severe impacts of domestic abuse and the legal challenges in prosecuting such behaviour posthumously.
