Daryl Berman, 72, has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband David Berman, 84, after claiming he accidentally fell onto a paring knife. The incident occurred at their home on Butterstile Lane in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, in March 2025.
Court Details and Verdict
At Minshull Street Crown Court, the prosecution argued that Berman intentionally stabbed her husband with the knife she had been using to prepare her lunch, for reasons unknown. The victim sustained a lethal chest injury and a defensive wound on his finger. Berman maintained throughout two trials that the wounds were accidental. The first jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, but a retrial resulted in a guilty conviction for murder.
Judge's Remarks
Judge Tina Landale stated: "On all accounts you were nurturing and caring towards him. However, life was changing for you, and not for the better. What happened next is unclear. Not knowing what happened had caused ongoing distress to his children. 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. He tried to defend himself and in doing so sustained a separate wound to his finger. You have never given a truthful account of what happened. I am satisfied you lost your temper which caused you to attack David. Whatever the trigger was, is unknown."
Victim Impact Statements
David's daughter, Debbie Davis, described the killing as an "ongoing nightmare." In a statement to the court, she said: "Since finding out my father died due to Daryl is an ongoing nightmare. I have found it hard to sleep, and keep going over that date and scenarios in my mind, I feel like living in my nightmare. I have been feeling very up and down and quite often burst out crying. I feel like I can't even mourn my father. He was just getting to know his great-grandchildren. They keep asking if Grandpa Dave is coming to soft play. There is a massive void in my life. I know my father was 84 but he still had some good years ahead of him."
David's son, Daryl Berman, told the court he had sleepless nights after the murder. In a statement, he said: "My life has changed dramatically. 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. I spoke to my sister who was already there and can hear pain in her voice now. On approach to the house I saw police cars and ambulances there. Strangely it looked like a crime scene already."
Defence and Sentencing
Michael Hayton KC, mitigating for Berman, said she had "nurtured" her husband before the incident. On the day in question, she had arranged for him to be in contact with his GP and checked in on him during the day. He described the violence as "short lived" and not premeditated. He accepted that any sentence would likely mean Berman spending the rest of her life in prison.
Berman was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years, minus 192 days already served in custody.
