Man Cleared of Rape and Manslaughter After Wife's Suicide in Swindon
Christopher Trybus, a 43-year-old software consultant from Swindon, has been acquitted of all charges related to the death of his wife, Tarryn Baird, who took her own life in 2017. After a seven-week trial at Winchester crown court, the jury deliberated for 40 hours and eight minutes before finding Trybus not guilty of manslaughter, two counts of rape, and coercive and controlling behaviour.
Trial Details and Allegations
The prosecution alleged that Trybus waged a campaign of domestic abuse and sexual violence against Baird, which they claimed led to her suicide. The rapes were said to have occurred in 2016, while the coercive control charges included accusations that Trybus tracked and monitored his wife, limited her access to finances, isolated her from her family, and threatened to reveal private information about her.
Tom Little KC, prosecuting, argued during the trial that "the control and physical violence meted out to her, including sexual violence and the threat of and fear of physical and sexual violence on his part towards her" caused Baird to take her own life. The court heard that Baird made over 100 visits to her GP, reporting rapes and displaying bruising she attributed to beatings.
Defence Arguments and Counterclaims
Katy Thorne, Trybus's barrister, presented a defence that challenged the prosecution's narrative. She stated that Trybus "loved her and cherished her deeply" and suggested that Baird's injuries were self-inflicted. Thorne argued that Baird had been making "demonstrably false allegations" to health professionals, noting instances where she reported injuries when Trybus was not even in the country.
Thorne also highlighted Baird's mental health struggles, including PTSD from witnessing violent incidents in South Africa and several prescription drug overdoses in the months before her death. She suggested that Baird might have been "desperately seeking help" for her mental health issues and could have become addicted to the attention her allegations brought.
Background of the Couple
Tarryn Baird, 34, was found dead at her home in Swindon, Wiltshire, on 28 November 2017. The couple, who met at school in South Africa, moved to the UK in 2007 and married two years later. Baird left a poignant note to her family, expressing her struggles with a "dark cloud" and stating, "I am so sorry but I just couldn't take it any more."
The court heard that Baird had attempted to leave her husband and move to a women's refuge but feared it was more dangerous to leave than to stay. In her closing speech, Thorne argued that Trybus had been "unfairly accused" and questioned how he could answer allegations from "a ghost from 10 years ago." She criticised the prosecution's case as being based on an agenda that assumes women alleging domestic abuse must be telling the truth.
For support, in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or via email at jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available at 988 or through chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, Lifeline offers crisis support at 13 11 14, with other international helplines accessible at befrienders.org.
