Woman claimed her husband accidentally fell onto a kitchen knife. But one detail unraveled her story

Daryl Berman, 72, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years after being convicted of killing her husband, David Berman, 84, in March last year. The Manchester woman initially convinced police that her husband, who had dementia, had accidentally fallen onto a kitchen knife. But as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding his death, Daryl’s account began to unravel.

According to the BBC, the couple had been married for 27 years, and the court found that Daryl had not set out to kill her husband. The judge said, “This was a domestic incident against a background of a decades-long happy marriage.” What the court did conclude, however, was that she deliberately tried to conceal her responsibility after the stabbing.

The wounds were consistent with a defensive injury

Daryl told police that her husband had been carrying his lunch tray into the kitchen when he tripped. She claimed David fell out of her sight before saying, “It’s OK, I slipped.” Moments later, she said she heard a loud groan and found him lying in a pool of blood.

Police initially accepted her explanation. However, the post-mortem examination found that David’s injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall. One of the wounds was to his right middle finger, which investigators said was consistent with a defensive injury. Officers also recalled Daryl asking one of the first responders, “You don’t think I murdered him, do you?”

Judge Tina Landale said during sentencing, “You have never given a truthful account of what happened. I am satisfied something must have happened to cause you to lose your patience or temper and begin to attack David with the knife you had earlier used to prepare your lunch.” She added, “Whatever the trigger was is unknown.”

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Daryl had become increasingly overwhelmed by her husband’s declining health following his diagnosis of vascular dementia. At the same time, witnesses described her as continuing to cope with his care. She even contacted David’s children so they could come and see him while he was still alive after the stabbing.

His daughter felt cheated

David’s daughter later said, “I keep going over different scenarios in my mind. I feel like I’m living in my own nightmare TV programme because things like this are not real. It has left a massive void in my life.” She added, “I know my father was 84, but he still had some good years ahead of him. I feel bereft and cheated.”

When Daryl first stood trial, the jury was discharged before reaching a verdict. At the retrial, however, Det. Insp. Alex Wilkinson presented evidence that ultimately convinced the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Daryl was responsible for her husband’s death. After the verdict, Wilkinson said, “David Berman was an 84-year-old man who should have been able to enjoy his later years in the safety of his own home. Instead, his life was cruelly cut short by the person he trusted most.” He added, “From the outset, Daryl Berman attempted to present her husband’s death as a tragic accident and maintained that account throughout the investigation.”