A man accused of driving his wife to suicide through relentless domestic abuse maintains that he loved and cherished her deeply while alleging she fabricated claims against him, the court has heard.
Christopher Trybus, 43, from Swindon, Wiltshire, faces manslaughter charges over the death of Tarryn Baird, 34, who died by hanging in November 2017. Ms. Baird, an optician, left a note stating: ‘To my family, I am so sorry but I just couldn’t take it any more.’
Charges and Prosecution’s Case
Trybus also stands accused of controlling and coercive behavior, along with two counts of rape at Winchester Crown Court. Prosecutors allege he subjected Ms. Baird to a ‘tsunami’ of abuse, including violence, sexual assaults, monitoring her movements, restricting finances, threatening to expose private information to her family, and isolating her from loved ones.
Tom Little KC, for the prosecution, describes extensive controlling, coercive, and manipulative actions, encompassing two rapes and additional sexual assaults.
Defense Challenges Allegations
Katy Thorne KC, defending Trybus, asserts he denies all charges. She portrays Ms. Baird as maintaining a ‘facade’ with health professionals due to her own mental health struggles.
‘This without question is a tragic case, a young woman has died and she took her own life and nothing you decide in this courtroom can alter the grief and loss of those who loved her,’ Ms. Thorne states.
The defense insists Trybus never abused, beat, coerced, or controlled his wife, nor caused her death. Instead, he deeply loved and cherished her. They claim Ms. Baird made false allegations to health professionals, unknown to others.
Examples include injury reports during Trybus’s absence from the country. ‘On November 16, he was out of the country, having left on 8th November and not returned until 23rd November. And yet during that period, Tarryn Baird made more than one set of allegations of domestic violence and took photographs of injuries, each of which she said was caused by him,’ Ms. Thorne explains.
The defense urges the jury to question the reliability of Ms. Baird’s claims, citing her longstanding mental health issues. They suggest she sought attention through allegations, explaining why she never reported to police or sought refuge—because the claims were untrue.
Sexual Assault Denials
Trybus denies sexual assaults. The defense describes their marital sex life as healthy and consensual, including bondage and rough practices unfamiliar to some. An alleged neck injury stemmed from a consensual ‘collar’ during sex, and an audio recording captures ‘kinky bondage type sex’ with consent.
Claims of financial control or isolation from family and friends do not hold, the defense argues; the opposite rings true. Health professionals received false stories as Ms. Baird’s troubled mind drove her to seek care and attention.
The jury must consider whether her suicide represented a ‘cry for help that went tragically wrong,’ influenced by mental health challenges and withdrawn services, not Trybus’s actions.
A software consultant and developer, Trybus denies all charges. The trial continues.
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or thecalmzone.net/get-support.
