A woman who stabbed her 84-year-old husband with a vegetable knife at their home in Bury has been handed a life sentence with a minimum of 12 years in prison for murder.

Daryl Berman (17/06/1954), of Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, Bury, was found guilty following an eight-day trial at Minshull Street Crown Court which ended on Tuesday 23 June 2026.

The court heard how on Thursday 13 March 2026, Greater Manchester Police received a report from the North West Ambulance Service in relation to an incident at Butterstile Lane, Prestwich.

When officer arrived at the scene, paramedics were working on the victim – David Berman – in the kitchen of the address. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Mr Berman could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 2.39pm.

During a conversation with one of the responding officers at the scene, Mrs Berman asked why the police were there, stating: “You don’t think I have murdered him do you?”

During the interview at the scene, she stated that after eating her lunch, David took her tray into the kitchen and heard a grunt, and what sounded like a stumble and fall. She continued with her account and said that Mr Berman shouted back to her that he had just slipped and he was fine.

Daryl got up and went into the kitchen to find her husband face down with the plate smashed by his side and the floor covered in blood, she then called 999.

Her account to our officers that day, was a lie.

Mr Berman’s death was, at first, concluded to be a tragic accident – however – following his Home Office postmortem examination, it was determined the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest with the injury bearing the hallmarks of a homicide.

As a result of that postmortem, Daryl was arrested on suspicion of murder on the evening of Tuesday 18 March 2025.

On interview, Mrs Berman continued to state that the stab wound that David sustained was as a result of him falling on the knife following his stumble into the kitchen.

The first trial of this case concluded on Friday 19 December 2025 with 10 jurors, at-the-time, failing to come to a verdict. Following the retrial in 2026, 11-jurors-to-one found her guilty of murder, with pathology key in ensuring the jury understood the circumstances.

Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson from our 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.”