Gary Baird: Wife of murder accused 'sent divorce intent letter' in 2017

Gary Baird denies murdering his wife Susan Baird at their home in Belfast in 2020

A Belfast woman sent a solicitor's letter to her husband notifying him of her intention to initiate divorce proceedings three years before he killed her, a court has heard.

Susan Baird, 60, died at her home in Windermere Road in the Four Winds area of south Belfast in August 2020.

Gary Alexander Baird, 64, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife but not guilty to murder.

The prosecution has rejected the former security guard's plea.

During the fourth day of the hearing at Belfast Crown Court, the jury heard a series of statements from family, friends and colleagues of Susan Baird.

CCTV footage which depicted a collision between Gary Baird and a bin lorry in the centre of Belfast 10 days before the hammer attack was also played.

The recording captured Mr Baird walking along Bedford Street, crossing the road then walking back on to the road where he was hit by the bin lorry.

This resulted in Mr Baird requiring hospital treatment for serious wounds to his left hand.

A prosecuting barrister addressed the five men and seven women of the jury and provided them with a series of agreed facts and background details.

She revealed that Mrs Baird was referred to a counsellor in October 2016 and that she attended eight sessions on her own for "relationship and marriage difficulties".

In January 2017, a solicitor acting on behalf of Mrs Baird wrote a letter to Gary Baird to notify him of her intention to initiate divorce proceedings.

In April of that year, the couple commenced counselling together with the Christian Guidelines charity which continued until August 2017.

The prosecuting barrister then referred to statements from relatives, friends and colleagues of the mother-of-four, who worked as an administrator at Orangefield Presbyterian Church.

Susan Baird died at her home in Windermere Gardens in south Belfast in August 2020

The prosecuting barrister said: "Over the years, Susan Baird spoke to all three of her siblings about difficulties in their marriage.

"Susan told her siblings that there were many occasions when they would not speak to each other.

"After Gary's accident on 6 August 2020, Susan updated her siblings by text.

"She said that Gary was pacing the floors.

"She texted her sister expressing concerns about Gary being discharged from hospital and that she feared he would become even more weird and how she would cope with this."

The prosecuting barrister also referred to a statement made by a friend of Susan Baird which detailed how Mrs Baird contacted a solicitor about divorcing her husband, but then went to counselling.

"The friends last spoke in May 2020, when it was Susan's 60th birthday, and Susan appeared quite flustered," the barrister said.

"Susan told her Gary was not coping well with lockdown and being stuck inside."

A colleague who worked with Mrs Baird in the church made a statement detailing his knowledge of her marriage difficulties.

Tensions

The lawyer added: "He was aware that in or around 2017, Susan was looking for another property.

"He knew that Susan has gone to counselling and that she decided to stay with Gary."

The minister of Orangefield Presbyterian Church also made a statement with the prosecuting barrister, telling the jury: "Susan told him there were tensions in the marriage... and she felt Gary's behaviour put their marriage under pressure.

"By June 2017, she told him it was a miracle her and Gary were moving in the right direction and talking more, and she described the relationship as not perfect but that they worked through issues together."

Another colleague from the church gave a statement, with the lawyer telling the jury: "Susan told her that since 2015 Gary had become more paranoid.

"Over the summer of 2020, Susan told her colleague that Gary's paranoia was getting worse, that he was pacing up and down, not speaking and wringing his hands - and that she was reluctant to go home as she would have to deal with whatever mood he was in.

"The last time this friend saw Susan Baird was on 14 August when she appeared in good spirits."

The trial continues.