WOMAN JAILED FOR LIFE FOR MURDERING HUSBAND WITH PARING KNIFE

Daryl Berman has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years for the murder of her husband David Berman at their home in Prestwich, Manchester, in March 2025. The 72-year-old maintained throughout two trials that her husband's death was accidental, claiming he had fallen in their kitchen and landed on a small paring knife. Mr Berman, 84, sustained a fatal chest wound during the incident at their address on Butterstile Lane. Berman was found guilty of murder last month following an eight-day retrial at Minshull Street Crown Court, after jurors in the first trial were unable to reach verdicts.

At sentencing on Friday, Judge Tina Landale stated that it appeared Mr Berman had taken his wife's lunch tray and that he fell to the floor before being stabbed in the chest. The judge noted that Mr Berman sustained a separate wound to his finger whilst attempting to defend himself. Judge Landale told Berman she was satisfied she had lost her temper and attacked her husband, though the specific trigger remained unknown. The judge added that Berman had never provided a truthful account of events. A total of 192 days already spent in custody will be deducted from her sentence.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Berman's daughter Debbie Davis described the ongoing distress caused by her father's death. Ms Davis stated she had experienced difficulty sleeping and struggled to mourn her father properly. She noted that Mr Berman's great-grandchildren continued to ask when their grandfather would return to activities they had enjoyed together, and described a significant void left by his absence.