A woman who murdered her 84 year old husband by stabbing him with a vegetable knife at their home in Prestwich has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.
Daryl Berman, 72, of Butterstile Lane, was sentenced after being found guilty of murder following a retrial at Minshull Street Crown Court.
The jury heard that Greater Manchester Police were called to the couple's home on Butterstile Lane on Thursday 13th March 2025 after the North West Ambulance Service reported an incident.
When officers arrived, paramedics were treating David Berman in the kitchen. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at 2.39pm.
Police said Daryl Berman initially questioned why officers were at the address before asking, "You don't think I have murdered him do you?"
She told officers that after lunch her husband had taken her tray into the kitchen, where she heard what she believed was a stumble and a fall. She said Mr Berman called out to say he had slipped but was fine.
Berman claimed she later entered the kitchen, found her husband face down beside a smashed plate with blood on the floor and called 999.
Investigators established that account was false.
Mr Berman's death was first believed to have been a tragic accident. A Home Office post mortem examination later found he had died from a stab wound to the chest. Pathologists concluded the injury was consistent with homicide.
Following the post mortem findings, Berman was arrested on suspicion of murder on 18th March 2025.
During police interviews she continued to maintain that her husband had fallen onto the knife after slipping in the kitchen.
The first trial ended in December 2025 after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Following an eight day retrial, a jury found Berman guilty of murder by a majority verdict of 11 to one.
Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson of Greater Manchester Police's Major Incident Team said, "David Berman was an 84 year old man who should have been able to enjoy his later years in safety of his own home. Instead, his life was cruelly cut short by the person he trusted most.
"From the outset, Daryl Berman attempted to present her husband's death as a tragic accident and maintained that account throughout the investigation. However, the findings of the post mortem examination exposed the truth and ultimately led to her being found guilty of his murder.
"Our thoughts remain with David's family and loved ones as they continue to come to terms with his death. While nothing can undo the pain caused by his loss, we hope today's sentence provides them with a measure of justice and allows them to begin moving forward."
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