Tara Kershaw was killed by Adam Barnard just hours after police released him following questioning about a domestic assault call where she told officers he had hit her
A man who told a police officer six chilling words after strangling his partner to death has been sentenced.
Killer Adam Barnard, 41, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, was sentenced today for the murder of his partner Tara Kershaw. He was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum of 19 years after being found guilty on Friday.
During the trial, the jury heard Tara phone police on Thursday January 18 this year and that Barnard had hit her on the lip. Officers arrived at the home and Barnard was arrested on suspicion of common assault before being taken to the Great Yarmouth Investigation Centre but he was released at 10:50pm the same day with no further action being taken.
The following day police and staff from the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor called Tara’s mobile three times to check on her but they all went unanswered. Barnard then approached an officer outside Yarmouth police station on January 20 and uttered six chilling words: “I think I’ve killed my partner.”
Tara’s body was found under a blanket on the floor of a room she lived in, at a guest house in Princess Road. A post-mortem examination later found she died as a result of compression to the neck.
Barnard was arrested and charged with murder and remanded into custody. He initially claimed that Tara had attacked him with a lamp as he slept.
He told officers he had “instinctively turned and pinned down Tara having pushed her away,” and was in pain, in shock and her her down by the neck. Barnard further claimed he “immediately stopped” when he felt her body go limp.
Barnard said he did not know how long he pinned Tara down and tried to resuscitate her and only had covered her with a blanket when her breathing did not change before passing out on the bed. He then claimed to have woken up panicked and left the property.
At Barnard’s sentencing today, Tara’s family read personal statements aloud in court. Tara’s sisters said: “We shared dreams, laughter, and an unbreakable bond. I can hardly comprehend the fact that I will never be able to share any future life moments with her. Her absence is a void that can never be filled.
“The moment I had to identify her body will haunt me forever. Seeing her like that is a memory that will never leave me, and the trauma is something I carry with me every single day.”
Another sister added: “I think about Tara every day. As I wake it’s yet another day without her, but by far the worst time is the evenings alone with my thoughts.
“This is when my mind won’t switch off and instead it runs through everything that I know and replays her final moments over and over again, and I am aware that no amount of time will ever break me free from the torment and torture of her death. I cling to memories of Tara; I hold them tight to keep them safe.”
Following today’s sentencing, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Alix Wright said: “We welcome todays sentencing of Adam Barnard, he is a manipulative man who prayed on Tara’s vulnerabilities and blamed her for his violent actions.
“He has shown no remorse or empathy and deserves to be behind bars to prevent him causing further pain to other vulnerable people. Our thoughts remain with Tara’s family, but I hope today’s sentence brings them some justice.
“No one should feel scared in their own home. I’d urge anyone suffering domestic abuse to report this so they can be helped and supported. If not directly to the police then to one of the various partner agencies and charities working throughout Norfolk.”
