Man Accused of Murder Claims He Woke From Seizure With Arm on Partner’s Neck

Adam Barnard, 41, who is accused of murdering his partner, testified to a jury at Norwich Crown Court that he “came-to” after a seizure and found his arm on her throat. He stated that he had been sleeping off a drink and drugs binge when his girlfriend, Tara Kershaw, attacked him with a lamp. Mr. Barnard claimed he attempted to defend himself and then blacked out. During cross-examination, he further accused Ms. Kershaw of deliberately trying to trigger his epilepsy. The prosecution, however, contended that he had fabricated his narrative, asserting he had “made this up to put flesh on the bones” of his story. The defendant maintained that the incident commenced when he awoke in bed to Ms. Kershaw assaulting him. He then stated he blacked out, telling the court: “I can’t remember exactly what happened – nine times out of 10 that is because of a seizure.” He added that, in self-defence, he had “held her down by the neck. I don’t know how long. As soon as I felt her go limp, I stopped”. The jury was informed that Mr. Barnard surrendered to the police more than 24 hours after the incident. The defendant stands accused of murdering the 33-year-old mother of two at their home in Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, on 19 January. He is also charged with one count of manslaughter and denies both charges. The court had previously heard testimony that Ms. Kershaw had contacted the police the day before her death to report that her partner had been violent towards her. A post-mortem examination concluded that her death was consistent with compression to the neck, and it also revealed evidence of other neck injuries sustained in the weeks prior. During cross-examination, Stephen Spence, representing the Crown, asserted to the defendant that he had “grabbed her by the throat, your preferred method of dealing with women, and you strangled her”. Mr. Spence continued: “To kill her you must have kept the pressure on her for quite a period of time. Doctors say two minutes. Let us have two minutes silence”. He then asked the courtroom to remain silent. When questioned about his failure to call an ambulance after realizing his partner had stopped breathing, Mr. Barnard explained that he had panicked and felt scared. He informed the court that he had performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after checking her pulse, stating: “As soon as I came around, I tried to save her.” Mr. Spence then questioned why the defendant did not alert other occupants of the house. Mr. Barnard replied: “I was scared. Lots of thoughts were going through my head. Panic.” The prosecutor responded by stating: “The reason you did not call an ambulance was because you realised what you had done.” The jury was informed that on the evening Ms. Kershaw died, the accused had consumed drugs and a bottle of vodka, along with six cans of strong cider. Mr. Barnard informed the jury that Ms. Kershaw would deliberately attack him to induce seizures during their volatile relationship. Mr. Spence commented: “You’re trying to make out to the jury you are the victim.” The trial is ongoing.