The mother of a woman who allegedly was driven to suicide by her husband's coercive behaviour is planning to take legal action against the mental health services she believes failed her daughter, as revealed by the Daily Mail's The Trial UK podcast.
Background of the Case
Tarryn Baird, aged 34, was discovered by police after taking her own life at her home in Swindon, Wiltshire, on November 28, 2017. Her husband, Chris Trybus, 43, was acquitted by a jury on April 22, 2026, of manslaughter, controlling and coercive behaviour, and two counts of rape in connection with Ms Baird's death. The verdict followed a trial at Winchester Crown Court, where explosive evidence was presented by both sides.
Allegations of Abuse
The prosecution alleged that Mr Trybus engaged in an extensive and escalating pattern of controlling, coercive, and manipulative behaviour towards his late wife. The Trial UK co-host Caroline Cheetham stated: 'The allegation was that Tarryn Baird, a woman in her 30s, was being controlled by her husband. He limited her access to money, was violent, hit her more than once with a metal pole and a remote control, tracked her, and made her feel scared and trapped. She attempted to leave but could not escape, and ultimately took her own life.'
The court heard that Tarryn had reported the alleged abuse to several individuals, including her mother, her GP, and a civilian officer at the local police station. Text messages between Tarryn and a friend, read out in court, appeared to paint a damning picture of the marriage.
Defence Strategy and Disconnects
However, the prosecution's case began to falter when discrepancies emerged. Notably, Mr Trybus was not in the country at the time some of the alleged abusive behaviour occurred. Defence barrister Katy Thorne highlighted 'disconnects' in the evidence. For instance, Tarryn claimed she found a bugging device in her study after her domestic violence advisor suggested she might be tracked. However, evidence showed she ordered a bugging device from Amazon shortly after the suggestion and later returned it.
Ms Thorne argued that most of the evidence against Trybus pertained to times when he was overseas and thus outside UK jurisdiction. Three applications to dismiss the case—in July 2025, March 2026, and April 2026—were rejected by Mr Justice Linden due to the high bar required to throw out a live criminal trial.
Defence's Closing Arguments
In her final address, Ms Thorne claimed the prosecution was driven by a 'Kafkaesque' agenda that assumes women making domestic violence allegations must be telling the truth, even when evidence suggests otherwise. She branded Tarryn's allegations 'fairy dust' and described her as an attention-seeker and fantasist who concocted the story after feeling bored and lonely while her husband frequently travelled for work. Ms Thorne asserted that Tarryn became trapped in her own lies, harmed herself, and made false allegations to continue receiving attention.
Mother's Legal Pursuit
Tarryn's mother, Michelle Baird, is now pursuing legal options against the mental health services she says failed to intervene and save her daughter. The podcast includes testimony from medical expert Dr Philip Joseph, who told the court: 'I've listened to her phone calls on the day of her death. She seemed very frustrated, rejected, and abandoned by mental health services, feeling she was going around in circles and not getting the help she desperately sought. She felt completely let down, and losing hope may have prompted her to decide to kill herself.'
Caroline Cheetham added: 'Tarryn's mother has decided to pursue the mental health services and other medical services who she says abandoned her daughter. We discussed her contact with her GP—over 100 appointments in two years—and her links to mental health services, the crisis team, and domestic violence advisors. By the end, both the domestic violence charities and the mental health crisis team decided they could not help her, and in her final phone calls, she made it clear she felt abandoned.'
For more details on the Christopher Trybus case, search for The Trial UK wherever you get your podcasts.
