UK dead woman ‘put on trial’ as husband cleared over 2017 suicide, lawyer claims

The acquittal of Christopher Trybus on all charges connected to the death of his wife Tarryn Baird has prompted sharp criticism from a prominent barrister who said the trial effectively put a dead woman in the dock while her husband faded into the background. Trybus, 44, was found not guilty of manslaughter, coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of rape after a jury of eight women and four men deliberated for more than 40 hours. Baird took her own life in 2017 having made allegations that Trybus had been abusive to her.Barrister Charlotte Proudman said the verdict reflected a case in which “a dead woman was put on trial”. She criticised elements of the defence’s closing argument, particularly suggestions that the criminal justice system automatically sides with women making allegations. Proudman described that claim as misleading, arguing that rape prosecutions remain uncommon and that many victims continue to face retraumatisation throughout the legal process, as reported by The Guardian.Trybus's defence barrister Katy Thorne KC responded to Proudman's remarks by saying they did not accurately reflect what was said to the jury and showed a limited understanding of the facts of the case. Thorne noted that Proudman had not been present in court for any part of the trial and had not heard any of the evidence. She also said that if anything said to the jury had been improper the prosecution team and the presiding judge would have intervened and neither did.During the trial Thorne made a direct appeal to the male members of the jury telling them they might feel afraid because entering a relationship with a woman who made allegations against them could result in prosecution even if those allegations were ultimately found to be untrue. Proudman said this amounted to telling male jurors to fear false allegations and said such allegations were exceptionally rare, representing less than two per cent of all reports made.The defence argued that Baird had made false allegations because she was bored and lonely and was seeking help for mental health difficulties including PTSD she had developed after witnessing violent incidents in South Africa. Trybus told the court he had been unaware of his wife's allegations before her death and that the day she died was the worst day of his life.Janaya Walker, interim director of End Violence Against Women, said women were often treated as suspects by the criminal justice system even after dying by suicide and that harmful and sexist beliefs remained widely prevalent. She said the case reflected a broader culture of disbelief towards women who raised allegations of domestic abuse.