Husband rang GP 570 times before killing wife

A man who admitted killing his wife made 570 calls to his GP to ask for help with his mental health but "none of them were answered", Belfast Crown Court has heard.

Gary Alexander Baird, 64, admitted killing his wife, 60-year-old Susan Baird, at their home in Belfast in 2020.

He previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility.

She died as a result of catastrophic head injuries after being attacked by Baird with a hammer at their Windermere Road home in August of that year.

Belfast Crown Court heard that Gary Baird was "clearly unwell and heard voices in his head".

Warning: This story contains details that readers may find distressing.

The first trial collapsed earlier this year after jurors were dismissed due to a legal issue.

That trial had heard that Susan Baird died after suffering multiple injuries, including fractures to her skull, lacerations on her brain and forehead and bruising on various parts of her body.

Her injuries were so bad that she had to be identified from her dental records.

The court previously heard that at 16:51 BST on 16 August 2020, Gary 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 couple's home 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. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Baird was arrested and when asked about his head wound, he told officers: "I did this to myself".

Admitting he attacked his wife with a hammer then turned the weapon on himself, Mr Baird, who is a former BBC security guard, also said "the voices in my head told me to do it".

At the time of her death, Susan Baird worked as an administrator at Orangefield Presbyterian Church.

Following the death of his wife, Gary Baird had been detained in Belfast City Hospital's acute mental health unit for more than a year.

On Monday, defence barrister Brian McCartney KC said "this was an impulsive act which culminated after weeks of psychotic torture that my client suffered".

The couple's children were in court on Monday, as they have been throughout this case.

The court was told "they're here for both their mummy and their daddy".

"Mr Baird will eventually return to a supportive family. A loving family. This is a highly tragic case and requires a unique approach."

Gary Baird will be sentenced on Wednesday.