Man on Trial for Wife's Manslaughter

0:00On March 18, a 43-year-old man named Christopher Trivis is on trial for manslaughter after his wife, Taren Baird, took her own life at age, 34, and their swimming home back on November 28, 2017. Prosecutors say he drove her to suicide through years of controlling behavior, physical abuse, and two counts of rape. Trivis denies all the charges against him, an old-school friend from South Africa testified that Baird confided in her about the abuse, including being raped while strangled with a belt, and getting hit close to 25 times during their hostile relationship. The friend described how Baird went from bubbly to a hollow shell, terrified, and often retracting her stories out of fear. The two women met as teens playing hockey in Johannesburg before Baird and Trivis moved quickly to the UK in 2007, marrying two years. Later, Baird had dealt with post-traumatic stress from witnessing armed hijackings back home, but seemed to recover until the relationship soured.

1:01She worked from home for his IT company. Jurors have seen 25 photos Baird took of her bruises on her face, torso and arm, which she sent to friends, her mother, and even Trivis, who never replied. Her diary entries detailed how sex turned progressively rougher, with him enjoying her resistance. She also called a crisis hotline hours before her death, saying she felt like ending it. Meanwhile, Trivis claims their encounters were consensual, rough sex from bondage play, and his lawyers point to her mental health struggles as the real cause. The trial at Winchester Crown Court rolls on as more evidence comes to light.