Christopher Trybus, a 43-year-old IT consultant from Swindon, has been acquitted of all charges related to the death of his wife, Tarryn Baird, who took her own life in 2017. The charges included manslaughter, two counts of rape, and coercive and controlling behaviour. The verdict was delivered after a seven-week trial at Winchester Crown Court, with the jury deliberating for over 40 hours.
Baird, 34, was found dead at her home in Swindon on 28 November 2017. The couple, who met at school in South Africa, moved to the UK in 2007 and married two years later. The prosecution alleged that Trybus subjected his wife to a campaign of domestic abuse and sexual violence, including tracking her movements, limiting her access to finances, isolating her from family, and threatening to reveal private information.
During the trial, prosecutor Tom Little KC argued that the control and violence, including sexual violence, led Baird to take her own life. The court heard that Baird made over 100 visits to her GP, reporting rape and displaying bruising she attributed to beatings. She had attempted to leave her husband and move to a women's refuge but feared it was more dangerous to leave.
Baird left a note apologising to her family, stating she 'just couldn't take it any more' and that she was 'now free'. However, Trybus's barrister, Katy Thorne KC, argued that Baird's injuries were self-inflicted and that she made false allegations. Thorne claimed that Trybus 'loved her and cherished her deeply' and that Baird was 'desperately seeking help' for mental health issues, possibly becoming addicted to the attention her allegations brought.
Thorne further stated that the prosecution's case was based on an agenda that women alleging violence must be telling the truth, and questioned how Trybus could answer allegations from a 'ghost' of 10 years ago. The jury ultimately found Trybus not guilty on all counts.
