Manslaughter accused 'cried' over his wife's death

A man accused of causing his wife to take her own life by controlling and abusing her has told a jury that finding out about her death was "the worst day of my life".

Christopher Trybus of Swindon is accused of the manslaughter of Tarryn Baird, who died of hanging in November 2017, aged 34.

Trybus, 44, also faces charges at Winchester Crown Court of controlling and coercive behaviour and two charges of rape.

He has denied raping, sexually assaulting, being violent towards, and controlling Baird, along with being responsible for her death.

The coercive control charge alleges Trybus controlled Baird by using and threatening violence towards her, sexually assaulting her, and monitoring her whereabouts.

It also accuses Trybus of limiting Baird's access to her finances, isolating her from her family, and threatening to reveal private information about her to them.

Trybus told the court he was in Germany when he was informed of his wife's death over the phone.

Speaking about his drive to the airport, he said he "broke down and cried" and asked the airline to put him at the front of the plane "because I wanted to get out as soon as possible".

"It's not something anyone can prepare themselves for, it's a cliche but you never think it's going to happen to you," said Trybus.

"So, worst day of my life, just absolutely terrible. I don't know how else to describe it."

The court heard Baird had a history of mental health issues, including a diagnosis of of potential PTSD after witnessing "traumatic" car-jacking incidents in South Africa where the couple grew up before moving to the UK in 2007.

Trybus told the court that he believed Ms Baird's mental health had improved in the weeks before her death and she was "mostly back to her normal self".

When asked about how he felt about being abroad for work regularly in the months preluding Baird's death, Trybus, a software consultant and developer, said he wishes he "could have done more".

"Possibly I could have stayed home, I could have taken some time off of work but when you are in it, you do not see it, you just think it will never happen," he said.

He replied "No, I do not think so", when asked by his barrister, Katy Thorne KC, if he was a "violent and domineering man".

And when asked if he was responsible for Ms Baird's death, he replied: "No, not at all."

Prosecutor Tom Little KC asked Trybus if being labelled a "wife-beater" by Ms Baird, who accused him of assaulting or sexually assaulting her on 25 occasions, made him angry.

Trybus replied: "It's difficult to be angry with someone who is dead.

"It's difficult to know what was going on in her troubled mind. It's someone I love very dearly, I try to understand it, not get angry about it."

The trial continues.

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