Court Hears Woman Allegedly Driven to Suicide by Husband's Abuse and Rape
A woman who allegedly took her own life after enduring extensive abuse from her husband confided in a childhood friend that he had raped her while strangling her with a belt, a court has heard. Carina Silva testified that her friend Tarryn Baird became "hysteric" after revealing the alleged sexual assault by Christopher Trybus.
Allegations of Manipulation and Violence
Trybus, 43, is accused of manslaughter for subjecting Ms Baird to "extensive" manipulative behaviour and sexual violence that prosecutors claim drove her to suicide. Ms Baird, aged 34, was found hanged at the couple's home in Swindon, Wiltshire, on November 28, 2017.
Ms Silva told Winchester Crown Court that Trybus had hit Ms Baird approximately 25 times during what she described as their "hostile" relationship. The abuse, she said, had transformed her friend into a "hollow shell" of her former self.
Longstanding Friendship Reveals Pattern of Abuse
The two women first met as teenagers playing hockey in Johannesburg, South Africa, when Ms Silva was 14 and Ms Baird was 16. They maintained their friendship until Ms Baird's death nearly two decades later.
Prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn questioned Ms Silva about the nature of the relationship between Ms Baird and Trybus. "She said it was hostile," Ms Silva recalled. "She enjoyed spending time with him, but most of the time it was hostile and she was scared of him."
Ms Silva described how her friend would frequently disclose abuse, including hitting and swearing, only to later retract her statements. "I didn't really know how to deal with the situation," she admitted to the court.
Detailed Account of Alleged Rape Incident
The court heard how Ms Baird revealed the alleged rape during a meeting at Paddington train station to celebrate Ms Silva's engagement. Initially "bubbly," Ms Baird's mood shifted dramatically before she described two separate incidents.
"She described two occasions," Ms Silva testified. "One of the times Chris came home and he was angry and they had an argument. He took her to the spare bedroom and raped her. She said he strangled her."
When asked about Ms Baird's emotional state during this disclosure, Ms Silva said her friend was "hysteric" and in significant pain. "She told me the pain she was in afterwards," Ms Silva continued. "About that incident, she said how sore her body was and she couldn't move her neck because she said to me she was strangled."
Attempts to Help and Document Abuse
Ms Silva attempted to "force" Ms Baird to leave with her after this revelation, but her friend refused. She then advised Ms Baird to keep a diary to document the abuse, suggesting it would provide "evidence if she needed it."
The transformation in her friend was profound, Ms Silva told the jury. "She was not my friend any more. She was a hollow shell. We used to laugh for hours, but she just became hollow."
Background and Additional Evidence
The court also heard that Ms Baird suffered from PTSD after witnessing two armed hijackings in South Africa during her early twenties. Ms Silva noted that while this made her friend "more nervous" temporarily, she had seemed "her normal self again" before moving to the UK.
Trybus and Ms Baird relocated to the UK in 2007 and married in 2009. Ms Baird worked from home handling administration and accounts for Trybus's company.
Additional evidence presented to the jury included 25 photographs of injuries Ms Baird took before her death, showing bruising to her face, torso, and arm. She sent two of these photos to both her mother and Trybus, but received no reply from her husband.
Other photos were sent to friends in the months leading up to her death. Although Ms Baird's mobile phone was restored to factory settings over a year before her death, data backed up to iCloud was investigated by police.
Diary Entries and Defence Arguments
Jurors were read diary entries in which Ms Baird described her husband becoming "progressively rougher" during sex and enjoying it when she fought back. In one entry from early 2016, she wrote: "I will never forget the day it all overflowed and he blew up."
Trybus's defence team has suggested that Ms Baird had "mental health problems" and that her suicide represented a "cry for help that went tragically wrong." Trybus maintains that he "loved and cherished" his wife and claims her injuries resulted from consensual "kinky bondage" and "rough sex."
The court also heard that Ms Baird contacted a crisis hotline hours before her death, telling operators they "needed to send someone around" because she "felt like ending it."
Trybus faces charges of manslaughter, controlling and coercive behaviour between December 2015 and November 2017, and two counts of rape. He denies all charges. The trial continues.
