Swindon Town Vs Bristol Rovers: Court hears man 'caused death of wife by controlling her'
The required keyword swindon town vs bristol rovers appears in editorial directions; the day’s main coverage centres on a Winchester Crown Court hearing where prosecutors told jurors that Christopher Trybus, 43, from Swindon in Wiltshire, controlled his wife and that control led to her taking her own life in November 2017.
Court told of sustained pattern of physical and sexual violence
Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the jury that Trybus carried out "extensive and escalating controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour including sexual violence of two rapes and other sexual assaults, " and that the behaviour took place "over a sustained period of time behind closed doors and all of it during the course of a marriage. " Little said the conduct ultimately led in November 2017 to the 34‑year‑old Tarryn Baird taking her own life and that "the prosecution say that the defendant is legally responsible for her death. " Trybus denies the manslaughter charge and the separate charges of controlling and coercive behaviour and two counts of rape.
GP notes and medical evidence outlined in court
Jurors heard medical records and testimony from Dr Tessa Jones showing Baird visited her GP several times between 2015 and 2017, with more than 100 entries in her medical notes at Ridgeway Surgery; she first attended in May 2015 reporting anxiety, fainting episodes and heart palpitations and was referred to specialists. The court was told she later returned with symptoms of post‑traumatic stress disorder and was prescribed antidepressants.
On 12 September 2016 Dr Jones documented "bruising around [Baird's] neck" and "difficulty swallowing" after Baird told the GP the injuries followed a sexual encounter in which Mr Trybus had put his hands around her neck. The jury also heard that Trybus had previously held Baird's head under water, had hit her and had tried to strangle her, and that Baird said he had stopped her attending a refuge and had thumped her on the stomach and hit her on the shoulder.
Claims of control, isolation and tactics to silence
In court Little said Trybus controlled many aspects of the relationship, monitored Baird's whereabouts, limited her access to money, threatened to reveal private information to her family and isolated her from relatives. Little told jurors that Trybus used the "threat and fear of physical and sexual violence" even from abroad, damaging her "already weakened mental state" and contributing to her decision to end her life; he added that "she had not managed to escape from him, despite seriously considering doing so on a number of occasions. " The prosecution said Trybus told Baird's parents she was addicted to drugs and alcohol so they would not believe claims of abuse, a tactic Little described as "classic domestic abuse perpetrator behaviour. "
Swindon Town Vs Bristol Rovers
Baird, who worked at an opticians, left a note to her family saying a "dark cloud" was over her; Trybus, who works as a software consultant and developer, has denied the charges and told the court Baird had been diagnosed as possibly having PTSD after witnessing and suffering armed car‑jacking incidents in South Africa. In court on Wednesday Little said Trybus carried out a "tsunami" of abuse against Baird.
Peebles council weighing demolition after October fire at Kingsmeadows
Separately, councillors in Peebles reviewed options for the fire‑damaged public toilets at Kingsmeadows after emergency services raced to extinguish a blaze there in October. The Peebles Common Good Fund sub‑committee met on Wednesday, February 25, where chair Viv Thomson, the Tweeddale West councillor, outlined three routes: complete flattening, partial demolition, or a full refurbishment.
The full demolition option was priced at £26, 000, while the two refurbishment options were put at around £70, 000 and £80, 000 respectively; Thomson warned that "£80k to rebuild toilets is probably outwith our reach" and noted an additional annual running cost if rebuilt. A partial demolition would flatten two of the worst‑affected toilets while retaining the other two units and an accessible toilet.
Councillors voice concern over loss of local facilities
Tweeddale East councillor Marshall Douglas said the Eastgate facilities have been chosen under Scottish Borders Council policy to provide just one set of public toilets in each major settlement, and that "It wouldn't be the Kingsmeadows toilets that would be run anyway by the council. " Douglas said the council lacked funds to fully reinstate Kingsmeadows and described a partial reinstatement cost of £72k as prohibitive. Tweeddale East councillor Julie Pirone warned the prospect of losing the Kingsmeadows toilets entirely "filled her with concern, " adding "These are valuable toilets on the south side of the river" and that they are important to the Beltane because "all the children and floats are all there so the toilets are well used. "
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Next steps: the manslaughter, coercive behaviour and rape charges against Christopher Trybus proceed at Winchester Crown Court, and the Peebles Common Good Fund sub‑committee will decide whether to pursue demolition, partial demolition or refurbishment of the Kingsmeadows toilets following the February 25 meeting.
