UK woman killed herself after being raped by her husband; the couple had been married for over a decade
Tarryn Baird, 34, was found dead at her home in Swindon, Wiltshire, on November 28, 2017. Prosecutors say her death followed a prolonged period of violent assaults and what they described as “extensive and escalating controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour” during her marriage.
Her husband, Christopher Trybus, 43, has appeared at Winchester Crown Court accused of unlawfully killing his wife, two counts of rape and one count of coercive and controlling behaviour. He denies all the charges.
Opening the case, prosecutors alleged that the sexual abuse and violence Trybus “meted out” to his wife caused a severe deterioration in her mental health and ultimately led her to take her own life. They argue that while the abuse may not have been the sole cause, it was a significant factor in her death.
The court heard that Ms Baird, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, felt trapped in the marriage and unable to escape. Prosecutors said she believed ending her life was the only way to stop her husband’s control.
Tom Little KC, opening for the prosecution, told jurors that Trybus controlled many aspects of his wife’s life. He allegedly isolated her from her family, placed tracking devices in her car, restricted her access to money, demanded passwords to her phone and monitored her internet search history.
Mr Little said the abuse included physical and sexual violence, as well as constant threats that left Ms Baird living in fear.
“It was the control and physical violence, including sexual violence, and the ongoing fear of such violence, that led to a deterioration in her already fragile mental state,” he said. “That, we say, was a cause of her decision to take her own life.”
The court heard that although Ms Baird seriously considered leaving her husband and contacted domestic abuse services, she ultimately felt unable to go through with it. Prosecutors say she feared the consequences of trying to leave.
“She could never bring herself to do it,” Mr Little told jurors. “Instead, she stopped his control over her in the only way she felt she could.”
In diary entries written before her death, Ms Baird described a disturbing change in her husband during sex. She wrote that “something was unleashed” when he first put his hands around her neck.
“The more I fight back, the more he enjoys it,” she wrote. “It is like there was a side of him hidden all these years.”
Jurors heard that Ms Baird left a note addressed to her family, but not to her husband. In it, she wrote: “I am so sorry but I just couldn’t take it any more. I can’t explain the dark cloud that is over me. Please don’t let this break you, but know I am now free.”
Initially, her death was not treated as suspicious. Wiltshire Police began an investigation months later, but the case was dropped before being reopened after Ms Baird’s phone was returned to her mother.
On the device, her mother discovered an audio recording allegedly capturing an assault. The court heard sounds of slaps, a woman crying out in pain, and a calm male voice believed to be Trybus.
The case was later transferred to another police force, leading to Trybus being charged.
The court was told that Ms Baird moved to the UK from South Africa with Trybus in 2007. They married in 2009 and settled in Wiltshire. Jurors also heard that she had struggled with her mental health after witnessing several violent car-jackings in South Africa as a young woman.
Medical evidence showed repeated injuries over time, including black eyes and facial swelling, which Ms Baird often explained away as accidents. Doctors and counsellors raised concerns, but she repeatedly denied being abused.
In October 2016, Ms Baird told her GP that her husband had raped her after she said she wanted to leave him. She alleged he strangled her, pinned her to the bed and had sex with her against her will while beating her.
Prosecutors say a second rape followed weeks later.
Trybus, a software consultant who frequently travelled abroad for work, denies all allegations.
The trial, expected to last up to eight weeks, continues.
