Belfast murder victim Susan Baird identified through dental records after husband attack, court told

A Belfast man accused of murdering his wife with a hammer claimed voices in his head told him to do it, a jury has been told.

Former BBC security guard Gary Alexander Baird (63) has denied murdering his wife Susan in their Windermere Road home on August 16, 2020, but has pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

This plea to manslaughter has not been accepted by the prosecution and a murder trial commenced at Belfast Crown Court on Monday, January 22.

A jury consisting of five men and seven women was addressed by Crown prosecutor Richard Weir KC and were told that the crux of the case concerns Baird's mental state of the time of the killing.

Mrs Baird, a mother-of-four, was 60 at the time of her death and worked as an administrator at Orangefield Presbyterian Church.

Telling the jury this case was "undoubtedly a tragedy", the senior prosecutor revealed that at 4.51pm on Sunday August 16, 2020 Baird called 999 and said 'I've just murdered my wife'.

He told the operator he had hit her with a hammer and when asked if she was dead, Baird replied 'I think so.'

Police attended the house at Four Winds promptly and after entering via an unlocked front door, they observed a heavily-bloodstained Baird sitting in the kitchen with a wound to his head.

They then discovered Mrs Baird who was lying slumped on a sofa in a small room off the kitchen.

Mr Weir told the jury: "She had severe head injuries and displayed no signs of life."

Paramedics also arrived at the scene and after observing the nature and extent of Mrs Baird's head wounds, it was noted at 5.08pm that her injuries were 'incompatible with life'.

Life was formally pronounced extinct at 8.55pm and she was later identified from her dental records.

A post mortem conducted two days after her death confirmed that Mrs Baird died of multiple blows to the head.

Baird was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murdering his wife and at that point he made no reply.

Due to his head wound, he was also treated by paramedics and when asked how he was injured, Baird said 'I did this to myself.'

He was also asked by the paramedic if he intended to kill himself to which he replied 'the voices in my head told me to do it' and said he had used a hammer.

Baird was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital here he was treated for a head wound.

During a mental health assessment conducted on August 26, 2020 Baird said that on the day of the killing, he had had a 'tiff' with his wife.

He said he'd been doing a bit of DIY around the house, which is why he had the hammer, and said he then heard a voice telling him 'this is your time, this is your opportunity.'

Baird said he then attacked his wife with the hammer and claimed he had been hearing voices 'since June'.

When asked about his self-inflicted head wound, Baird told medics he hit himself to 'share' the pain. He also apologised and said he wished he could turn the clock back.

Mr Weir revealed the accused was then transferred to the acute mental health inpatient unit in the City Hospital where he stayed for a period before being deemed mentally and physically fit for interview.

This took place in January 2021 when Baird made no reply to any questions put to him by police.

Concluding his opening, Mr Weir told the jury: "The issue of diminished responsibility will be raised by the defence in this case.

"That is a special defence which applies only in murder cases.

"At it's heart lies the issue of the accused's mental state at the time of the killing. That is a matter for expert evidence - evidence from psychiatrists ... and you will hear that at a later stage in this trial."

Trial judge, Mr Justice McFarland, then addressed the jury and before being dismissed for the day, the 12 members were told not to speak to anyone about the case or conduct any online research.

The trial continues.

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