Man found guilty of murdering partner

Pictured: Adam Barnard

A man who claimed he strangled his partner after she “attacked” him with a lamp has been found guilty of her murder.

Adam Barnard, aged 41 and of Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, was today (7 November 2024) convicted of the murder of Tara Kershaw at her home in Princes Road in the early hours of Friday 19 January 2024.

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict, following a 17 day trial held over five weeks, at Norwich Crown Court today (7 November 2024).

Barnard pleaded not guilty to her murder at an earlier hearing.

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. A Home Office postmortem examination later confirmed her cause of death was compression of the neck.

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.

Following today’s conviction, 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.”

Adam Barnard will be sentenced on Monday 11 November 2024.

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.

We would encourage any victim of domestic abuse to seek help and support. You can report it to us here. A wide range of resources and advice are also available here.

If you do not want to talk to police, there are numerous partner agencies who can offer guidance. A list of local help is available here.