Accused says he "didn't mean to kill" wife

A 46-year-old man accused of murdering his wife told police he did not mean to kill her, a court heard today.

Adrian Baird appeared before Ballymena magistrates in Co Antrim, accused of murdering his wife Katrina in the village of Broughshane on Monday.

A detective sergeant told the court that when charged yesterday Mr Baird said: “I didn’t mean to kill my wife.”

The police officer said he believed he could connect him to the charge.

The defendant’s solicitor said: “My client surrendered himself to the police immediately after this incident happened. There were an extensive number of interviews over two days. He said consistently that he had no intention of killing his wife.”

Mr Baird, an armourer with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, from Skerry View, Loughloughan Road, Broughshane, was remanded in custody to appear in court again on March 6.

During the brief hearing, he sat with his head bowed. Relatives of the murdered woman were in court to see the charges being read.

Mrs Baird, 40, was found shot dead at a Georgian mansion in Broughshane where she worked as a childminder for wealthy businessman Ken Dickson and his wife Barbara, a veterinary surgeon.

The victim had recently moved into a new home close to her daughter who has two children. Her parents, Sam and Margaret Gilchrist, both live in the village.

The body of the mother of three was discovered in the courtyard of her employers’ house on the Buckna Road at around 11.45am on Monday.

It is understood Baird walked into a police station in Ballymena shortly after the shooting and was taken into custody.