Daryl Berman, 72, has been handed a life sentence for murdering her husband David Berman, 84, at their home on Butterstile Lane in Prestwich. Following a retrial at Minshull Street Crown Court, a jury convicted her of killing him with a vegetable knife, inflicting a fatal chest wound and a defensive wound to his finger.
Bodycam footage shows Berman's first words to police
Greater Manchester Police released body-worn camera footage showing the moment Berman spoke to officers outside her home. In the clip, an officer asks, 'Are you alright?' Berman, covered in blood, replies, 'No. I'm alright, but I'm not. I don't think it's hit me yet... Why are the police here? You don't think I've murdered him, do you?' The officer reassures her it is 'normal procedure,' and when she asks if she is a suspect, he says, 'No, no, no, no.' Later, after spelling her name, she says, 'Why am I so calm?'
Prosecution argued deliberate attack
Prosecutors said Berman stabbed her husband of 27 years deliberately 'for a reason known only to her.' The initial trial ended with a hung jury, but a second jury convicted her. Berman maintained throughout that the injuries and death were accidental. In mitigation, Michael Hayton KC described the incident as 'not premeditated but short lived violence' in a domestic context 'not familiar' to the court.
Background of the couple
The court heard that David Berman had dementia, used a walking stick, and had been suffering shortness of breath in the 10 days before his death. On March 13, 2025, at 1.55pm, Berman called 999 to report her husband injured; he was pronounced dead at 2.39pm. She claimed he took her lunch tray into the kitchen, she heard a grunt and stumble, and found him face down with a smashed plate and blood. Initially treated as a tragic accident, Home Office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb concluded the stab wound had 'typical features of a homicide.'
Family impact statements
David's son, Daryl Berman, said in a victim impact statement: 'Receiving a phone call from Daryl was fairly common, not in this case. I knew his life was in danger from the tone of her voice.' He added, 'Since dad's passing I felt cheated... Not being able to say goodbye properly is hard to swallow. Life will never be the same.' His sister, Debbie Davis, said: 'Since finding out my father died due to Daryl is an ongoing nightmare... He was just getting to know his great-grandchildren. They keep asking if Grandpa Dave is coming to soft play.'
Sentencing remarks
Judge Tina Landale told Berman: 'On all accounts you were nurturing and caring towards him. However, life was changing for you, and not for the better... It appears he took your lunch tray and something happened between you. David Berman fell to the floor and you stabbed him in the chest... You have never given a truthful account of what happened. I am satisfied you lost your temper which caused you to attack David.'
Police statement
Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson from GMP's Major Incident Team said: 'David Berman was an 84-year-old man who should have been able to enjoy his later years in safety of his own home. Instead, his life was cruelly cut short by the person he trusted most. From the outset, Daryl Berman attempted to present her husband's death as a tragic accident... However, the findings of the post-mortem examination exposed the truth.'
Berman was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years, minus 192 days already served. She showed no reaction as she was sentenced.
