Man cleared of manslaughter of wife who took her own life

A 44-year-old man has been found not guilty of the manslaughter of his wife who took her own life.

Christopher Trybus, of Swindon, Wiltshire, was cleared by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of causing the death of 34-year-old Tarryn Baird, who died of hanging in November 2017.

He was also acquitted of two charges of rape against her and a count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

The prosecution had alleged that Mr Trybus controlled Ms Baird through using and threatening violence towards her, sexually assaulting her, monitoring her whereabouts, limiting her access to finance, threatening to reveal private information to her family and isolating her from her family.

He was also accused of using a belt to choke her and strangling her during sex causing her to pass out.

Giving evidence, Mr Trybus, who ran an IT company, said that he travelled abroad frequently for work and was out of the country on the days of several of the allegations.

He also said he believed his wife had mental health issues due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The chairman of the jury of seven women and five men announced the verdicts to a hushed courtroom following their 40 hours and eight minutes of deliberations.

The defendant, dressed in a grey suit, blue shirt and dark tie loose at the collar, looked up at the ceiling and burst into tears as the verdicts were announced with cries of relief also heard from the public gallery.

Outside court, Mr Trybus hugged his current wife Bea, who he married in August 2024, with both of them in tears.

The judge, Mr Justice Linden, thanked the jurors for their service and told them: “It was a difficult and sad case and the stakes were high for the families involved so we understand your task has not been an easy one and no-one should underestimate your role in these proceedings.”

The trial heard that Ms Baird was diagnosed as probably suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she witnessed violent car-jackings in South Africa where she and the defendant grew up.

The couple moved to the UK in 2007 and married in 2009 but an attempted burglary in 2015 appears to have triggered Ms Baird’s mental health issues including anxiety and depression leading her to seek help from mental health professionals, the court heard.

Describing how he felt about Ms Baird in light of the allegations, he told the court: “It’s such a complex feeling, I loved her dearly and she has gone and said all of these things.

“At no point has this ever happened, it’s such a mix of emotions, I am upset that she said these things but she is not here so I can’t be upset with her, it’s not something I can put into words.”

He denied causing her injuries although he said that an injury to her neck could have been caused by a “fluffy” bondage collar that she wore on one occasion while they had what was described in court as “kinky” sex.

He told the court that he had purchased a kit from Amazon which included cuffs, rope, neck collar with leash, ball gag, a whip and blindfold.

The court was played an audio clip recorded Ms Baird on her phone during which she could be heard gasping and grunting which the prosecution alleged was evidence of Mr Trybus attacking her during sex but which the defendant said was just the way they had sex and did not believe she was in pain.

Speaking outside court and accompanied by his wife, Mr Trybus said: “After three police investigations over the course of 10 years, I’m relieved that the jury has carefully considered the evidence and reached the correct verdict today.

“I want to thank my wife, my family, and my friends for their unwavering support – and my legal team for their hard work and dedication throughout the process.

“This has had a profound impact on my life and on those closest to me. It’s been an incredibly difficult experience.

“I would also like to acknowledge that domestic abuse is a very real and serious issue, and victims must always be supported.

“Right now, I’ll focus on moving forward and rebuilding my life with my family.”

When he was asked if he had a message for Ms Baird’s family, he replied: “No.”