Norfolk man found guilty of murdering 33-year-old in Great Yarmouth
An initial post mortem by the Home Office found that Tara Kershaw's death was consistent with compression to the neck
Last updated 7th Nov 2024
A man from Norfolk has been found guilty/not guilty with the murder of a woman- at Norwich Crown Court.
41-year-old Adam Barnard of Princes Road in Great Yarmouth, was arrested and charged at the start of the year after Tara Kershaw was found dead in the town on January the 20th.
Norfolk Police say they found 33 year-old's body, at at 9.11am on Saturday 20 January, after officers were called to a property on Princes Road.
An initial post mortem by the Home Office found that her death was consistent with compression to the neck.
Mr Barnard denied the charges against him.
The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict, following a 17 day trial held over five weeks, at Norwich Crown Court today.
The case in more detail:
The court was told about previous police contact with Barnard and Tara, including an incident at around 6pm on Thursday 18 January 2024.
On this occasion, Tara phoned officers in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and told them Barnard had hit her on the lip.
Police officers were deployed to the address and Barnard was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to Great Yarmouth Investigation Centre for questioning. He was released at 10.50pm with no further action being taken.
The following day, police safeguarding staff from the MASH and an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser called Tara’s mobile three times to check on her welfare but their calls went unanswered.
It was the following day, on 20 January 2024, that Barnard approached an officer outside Yarmouth police station, shortly before 9am, and said: “I think I’ve killed my partner.”
Tara’s body was discovered under a blanket on the floor of a room she lived in, in a guest house in Princes Road.
Barnard was arrested and later charged with murder and remanded into custody.
In his police interview, Barnard – who lived in the same guest house as the victim - provided a prepared statement that claimed Tara had attacked him with a lamp while he was sleeping.
He said he’d “instinctively turned and pinned down Tara having pushed her away,” and was in pain, in shock and had held her down by the neck. Once he felt her body go limp, he “immediately stopped.”
Barnard claimed he didn’t know how long he had pinned down Tara and had attempted to resuscitate her and when her breathing didn’t change, had covered her with a blanket and passed out on the bed.
Barnard told officers he woke up the next morning, panicked and left the property
"We are struggling"
A tribute has been issued by the family of Tara Kershaw after her body was found:
“Following the death of our beloved sister, which we are struggling to come to terms with at the present time, we would like to ask people to respect our wishes for privacy.
"We would like to be given the time to grieve the loss of Tara and come to terms with the circumstances in which her life was taken.”
"I would like to thank the jury for paying close attention to evidence presented"
Senior 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.”
Norfolk Constabulary made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in January 2024 in relation to previous police contact with the victim and Barnard. The IOPC has subsequently confirmed it is conducting its independent investigation.
Barnard is due be sentenced on Monday 11th November, at Norwich Crown Court