To think that justice was not done

[Skinnysaluki]

AIBU to have read the reports of the trial of Christopher Trybus and be absolutely raging at the way that women’s lives are just viewed as absolutely worthless and the way that ancient tropes about women as deceitful and hysterical are still wheeled out to discredit victims and deny them justice? I just dont know what to do with all this fury

Three investigations, I think he said. Three.

The police clearly thought he was worth scrutiny.

Thing is, we know how hard it is to get a case to court.

Yes it is very sad. And some people with MH conditions will fabricate abuse and it doesn’t help anyone to pretend otherwise. I used to work with someone like this and she would post pictures of her bruised body saying her dad or her boyfriend had beaten her up and that she needed somewhere safe to stay. The injuries were often self inflicted and on one occasion due to resisting arrest by the police. But someone seeing that and assuming she was telling the truth would be shocked and horrified.

I've also listened to the trial podcast and I think it's more a case that the prosecution didn't really prove their case, as supposed to he definitely didn't abuse her. I'm sure some of the jury would have agreed he did, but the case was asking them (in one of the charges) to definitively conclude that he caused her death, when she was obviously desperately seeking mental health support she didn't get. I was thinking before that they might find him guilty of coercive control and rape but not manslaughter. I found the evidence about the fluffy collar causing bruising round her neck laughable. The jury seem to have been convinced by the dates when she says she was abused and he was out of the country. It's perfectly possible that she made some things up and he also did abuse her.

@DiamondRBD completely agree we will never know for sure, but based on the evidence in court the outcome did not surprise me.
I’m sure the prosecution also said none of his defence evidence had materialised during the investigation either which I did find odd - why would you wait for trial to bring evidence to defend yourself?

Well speaking as a defence barrister if my client told me outright ‘I did it’ then went into court and lied and said they didn’t I have to recuse myself instantly and say that I am ‘professionally embarrassed’ all the legal staff know my client lied. That’s it,
trial over til new legal representation is found

If the evidence is pretty clear that they did it and they insist that they didn’t then I would say ‘my instructions are’ and again people would know that I’ve instructed my client appropriately and they are insisting we run this defence so we are.

As a barrister I can’t turn down defence work. It’s what’s called the taxi rank rule. You take the first case you’re offered, you can’t read the case and say ‘oh actually no I can’t do that’

I will defend my clients to the best of my ability and I sleep just fine because if I didn’t then they would probably get a retrial on appeal for ineffective counsel and if you were in prison waiting for your trial which the prosecution had only circumstantial evidence for and your legal representation decided you actually did it and got you years In prison I think you’d be pretty pissed off too

Im sure some of my clients are guilty and have got off and I’m sure some of my clients are innocent and have gone to prison. In some cases I am still working appeals. I feel far worse about the people who are in prison now that I am personally convinced are not guilty.

I’m horrified by the conclusion of the case. They have besmirched this doomed young woman’s reputation for no other reason than she is no longer alive to tell the tale

I understand and admire your candour

Yes I agree that it’s not a good look to attack the defence barrister here. Everyone deserves a robust defence. You just cannot send people to prisons, potentially for the rest of their lives, without ensuring that they are properly defended. Believe me. And it’s always worse for a guilty person to avoid prison than for an innocent person to be jailed.

It is clear that Taryn Baird lied on various occasions about allegations. That damaged her credibility and I don’t think the jury could have reached a different verdict even if it seems that her husband was abusive.

When I read that I genuinely felt sick. An abhorrent thing to say. Appalling.

Yeah that is pretty abhorrent