Man guilty of his girlfriend's murder in Great Yarmouth

Adam Barnard, 41, strangled Tara Kershaw, 33, shortly after returning to her flat in Great Yarmouth, having stopped to buy alcohol on his way back from the police station.

The following day, on January 20 this year, he walked back to the police station and approached an officer outside and said: "I think I killed my partner."

Barnard has been on trial at Norwich Crown Court for the past month having denied murdering Miss Kershaw who died as a result of compression of the neck.

Tara Kershaw (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) But on Thursday jurors, who went out to consider verdicts on Monday, came back with unanimous guilty verdicts after more than 12 hours of deliberations.
Great Yarmouth Police Station (Image: Newsquest)

Judge Alice Robinson told Barnard he would be sentenced on Monday.

The 17 day trial, held over five weeks, heard how she had made several calls to police in the weeks leading up to her death predicting she would die at the hands of Barnard.

At one point she told officers he strangled her "every week" and repeatedly said he would kill her.

Norfolk Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), so the watchdog can investigate its handling of Miss Kershaw's complaints and if the tragedy could have been avoided.

EARLIER ARREST...AND RELEASE

The court was told Barnard, who lived in a room near to Miss Kershaw at a guest house in Princes Road, was arrested on January 18 on suspicion of assault after she alleged he had hit her on the lip.

He was taken into custody and interviewed, telling officers she had caused the injury herself.

He was then released at 10.50pm with no further action taken and went home, stopping off on the way to buy cider and vodka.

He then killed Miss Kershaw in the early hours of January 19.

More than 24 hours later, shortly before 9am on January 20, he went to Yarmouth Police Station and approached officers outside, saying "I needed to speak to you guys," adding: "I know I'm in a whole lot of trouble," before saying he thought he had killed his girlfriend.

Barnard was arrested and officers went to Miss Kershaw's flat where they found her on the floor at the foot of the bed with an animal print blanket over her.

A DEATH FORETOLD

The trial also heard about a number of previous incidents when Miss Kershaw had complained of suffering violence at Barnard's hands, including on January 6 when she called police to say he had strangled her.

A post mortem examination on Miss Kershaw's body found that in addition to the fresh injuries that had killed her, there was evidence of two earlier fractures to part of her larynx, or voice box.

A pathologist also identified other recent injuries, including bruising to her neck and jaw area.

During the trial, Stephen Spence, prosecuting said "in many respects Tara foretold how she might die and at whose hands.”

Mr Spence said Barnard had attempted to portray her as “aggressive, violent and a drunk” and that he was the victim of her violence.

Adam Barnard (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) But he said her own “graphic accounts” of the violence and controlling behaviour painted a different picture. 

Jurors heard a number of previous 999 calls Miss Kershaw had made to police in the weeks before her death claiming she had been attacked by Barnard.

Police at Princes Road, Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest) These included November 24, January 1, 5 and 6.

In a 999 call to police on January 6, Miss Kershaw said "he" was going to "come and beat her up" and kill her. 

When police came to visit her after the emergency call she told officers "I'm scared for my life" and she thought she might get "killed tonight".

She told officers that Barnard had told her gone for her throat as it is not as easy to see the bruises.

Telling officers about an incident that she said occurred the previous day, Miss Kershaw said Barnard said "I'm going to kill you".

She said he told her "I'm going to snap your neck".

"He was strangling me - he was trying to kill me," she said.

Miss Kershaw told officers Barnard said: "If I can't have you, no-one else will have you. He went on trying to kill me."

She said he made threats against her "lots" and had tried to strangle her "every week".

She told officers she was "frightened" and "100pc" thought he might kill her. 

Barnard had claimed he killed her accidentally after suffering an epileptic seizure while restraining her as she attacked him with a lamp.

'A CONTROLLING AND MANIPULATING MURDERER'

Speaking after verdicts in the case, investigating officer, Detective Inspector Alix Wright said: “Our thoughts today, as they have been throughout our investigation, are with Tara, her family and friends and although I am pleased with this verdict, I also know nothing will ever bring her back and take away their pain.

“Barnard was a controlling and manipulating murderer who preyed on Tara, exploited her feelings and her vulnerabilities.

“I would like to thank the jury for paying close attention to evidence presented in court which at times has been complex.

"They heard key evidence from medical experts that Tara had previous injuries to the bones in her neck caused four to seven weeks, five to ten days, and less than 6 hours before she died.

“Whenever she attempted to ask for help from authorities, she felt threatened by Barnard. He deserves to be behind bars.”