Husband's Alleged Coercive Control and Violence Led to Wife's Suicide, Court Told
A tragic case unfolding at Winchester Crown Court has heard harrowing allegations that a man's use of physical and sexual violence to control his wife ultimately led her to take her own life. Christopher Trybus, aged 43 and from Swindon, Wiltshire, faces charges including manslaughter, controlling and coercive behaviour, and two counts of rape in connection with the death of Tarryn Baird, who died at age 34 in November 2017.
Prosecution Details Escalating Abuse and Control
Prosecutor Tom Little KC described Trybus's actions as "extensive and escalating controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour, including sexual violence of two rapes and other sexual assaults." He emphasized that this abuse occurred "over a sustained period of time behind closed doors and all of it during the course of a marriage." The coercive control charge alleges that Trybus monitored Ms. Baird's whereabouts, limited her access to finances, threatened to reveal private information to her family, and isolated her from them, using and threatening violence to maintain dominance.
Impact on Mental Health and Suicide Decision
Mr. Little argued that Trybus controlled "many aspects of their relationship" even when abroad, through the "threat and fear of physical and sexual violence." This, he said, caused a deterioration in Ms. Baird's "already weakened mental state and a cause of her deciding that she should take her own life." He noted that she had considered escaping but felt constricted by his control, fearing the consequences of leaving. "Instead she stopped his control over her in the only way she felt she could by taking her own life," he added.
Background and Struggles with Mental Health
The couple, both originally from South Africa, moved to the UK in 2007 and married in 2009. Ms. Baird had been diagnosed with possible PTSD after witnessing and suffering from armed carjacking incidents in South Africa. By May 2016, she told her GP she "occasionally felt life was not worth living," and by August, she was "struggling with her mental health." A "tsunami" of incidents built up, leading her to repeatedly contact Swindon Women's Aid and her GP for help.
Specific Allegations of Violence and Gaslighting
Ms. Baird reported to her GP that Trybus raped her on October 19, 2016, after an argument over school fees, grabbing her wrists and hitting her face with what she believed was a phone. She also told a support worker that he had strangled her, causing her to pass out, and blamed herself for wanting to leave. Mr. Little described this as "gaslighting in any ordinary sense of the word." A second alleged rape occurred in November 2016.
Final Months and Suicide Attempt
On September 19, 2017, Ms. Baird attempted suicide, telling her doctor she "wanted to escape the domestic violence." Later that month, she struggled further after police took no action on a complaint against Trybus. In November 2017, she reached a "very low ebb," reporting extreme violence from her husband. On November 28, after a potential pregnancy test, she expressed "constant thoughts" of suicide and was unable to secure a refuge place. She was later found by police after a call to 101.
Christopher Trybus denies all charges, and the trial continues. This case highlights the severe impacts of domestic abuse and coercive control on mental health, underscoring the need for support services. Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can contact Samaritans at 116 123 or via email at jo@samaritans.org in the UK, or call local branches or 1 (800) 273-TALK in the US.
