Christopher Trybus, a 44-year-old IT businessman from Swindon, has been found not guilty of rape and manslaughter following one of the most legally unusual trials seen in England and Wales in recent years. The case centred on the death of his wife Tarryn Baird who took her own life in November 2017 at the age of 34. Prosecutors argued that Trybus bore criminal responsibility for her death. After careful consideration the jury at Winchester Crown Court cleared him of every charge including two counts of rape and one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.
The case was described as the first of its kind in England and Wales because it sought to hold a person criminally liable for the suicide of a spouse by arguing that sustained abuse had caused the death. That legal framing made the trial significant beyond the individuals involved and it drew considerable attention from legal professionals and domestic abuse campaigners throughout its duration.
