Man ’controlled wife through violence’ before she took own life, court hears | UK | News
A man controlled his wife through “physical and sexual violence”, leading her to commit suicide because she could not escape him, a court heard. Christopher Trybus, of Swindon, Wiltshire, is charged with the manslaughter of Tarryn Baird, who died by hanging in November 2017, aged 34. The 43-year-old also faces charges of controlling and coercive behavior and two charges of rape at Winchester Crown Court.
The coercive control charge alleges Trybus controlled Ms Baird by using and threatening violence towards her, sexually assaulting her, monitoring her whereabouts, restricting her access to finances, threatening to disclose private information to her family and isolating her from her family. Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the jury Trybus had committed “extensive and increasingly controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour, including two rapes, sexual violence and other sexual assaults”.
He continued: “This happened behind closed doors for a long period of time, and it all happened during the marriage.
“It eventually led to the suicide of a woman in her thirties, identified as Tarryn Baird, by hanging herself in November 2017.
“She was the defendant’s wife and the prosecution says the defendant is legally responsible for her death.”
Mr Little told the court Trybus controlled “many aspects of their relationship”, even from abroad, using the “threat and fear of physical and sexual violence”, which led to his “already weakened mental state deteriorating and him deciding that he should take his own life”.
She added: “He did this in their own home. Although she seriously considered doing it several times, she had not been able to escape him.”
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He added: “However, we say that he could never leave her because he was constrained by her control, no doubt fearing the consequences of attempting to do so, and instead ceased his control over her in the only way he felt could take his own life.”
Mr Little said Ms Baird, who worked at an optician, left a note saying: “I’m so sorry for the family but I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I know you may not understand this, but I can’t explain the dark cloud over me.
“Please don’t let this break you, but know that I am free now. Nothing any of you could do could change that, please know that.”
“I love you and please forgive me.”
Mr Little said the couple, who are both South African, moved to England in 2007 and married in 2009.
Trybus, a software consultant and developer, denies the accusations and the trial continues.
