Man jailed for life for murdering partner

Pictured: Adam Barnard

A man who claimed he strangled his partner after she “attacked” him with a lamp has been jailed for life for her murder.

Adam Barnard, aged 41 and of Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, was today (11 November 2024) sentenced for the murder of Tara Kershaw. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict, following a 17-day trial held over five weeks, at Norwich Crown Court last week (7 November 2024). Barnard had pleaded not guilty to her murder at an earlier hearing.

During the trial, the court heard 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 Advisor 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.

Tara’s family read victim personal statements aloud in court today (11 November). One of 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.”

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.