Adam Barnard, 41, has been convicted murdering his partner Tara Kershaw, 33, less than 24 hours after she called the police and told officers he had hit her on the lip
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Adam Bernard found guilty of murdering his partner
This is the chilling moment a man who admitted to strangling his partner said it’s “like you see in The Simpsons” when the police questioned him.
After a 17-day trial held over five weeks, 41-year-old Adam Barnard was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend by a unanimous jury. He had pleaded not guilty to her murder at an earlier hearing.
Norfolk Constabulary rushed to the home of “controlling” and “manipulating” Adam Barnard, 41, after his girlfriend Tara Kershaw, 33, called officers in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) at about 6pm on January 18, 2024, telling them that he had hit her on the lip. Now, shocking police bodycam footage has emerged, showing Barnard telling officers: “My idea of strangulation is like you see it on The Simpsons.”
He also made a strangling gesture, mimicking how in the American sitcom, Homer strangles his son Bart. Barnard was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to Great Yarmouth Investigation Centre for questioning – but he was released at 10.50pm, with no further action being taken.
The following day, on January 19, 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. Sadly, it was too late.
Shortly before 9am on January 20, Barnard approached an officer outside Yarmouth police station: “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, Great Yarmouth.
Police believe she was killed in the early hours of January 19, less than 24 hours after she called officers and her partner was arrested, then released. A Home Office post-mortem examination later confirmed her cause of death was compression of the neck.
Barnard was arrested and later charged with murder and remanded into custody. Norfolk Constabulary said that 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 had “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.
The murderer told officers he woke up the next morning, panicked and left the property. Today, Barnard was convicted of the murder at Norwich Crown Court. The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict following a 17-day trial held over five weeks. He had pleaded not guilty to her murder at an earlier hearing.
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 November 11. Norfolk Constabulary referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in January 2024 in relation to previous police contact with the victim and Barnard. The IOPC confirmed it is conducting its independent investigation.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk