Nigerian Man Sentenced to 7½ Years in Prison for Attempted Murder of His Estranged Wife in UK

A 26-year-old Nigerian man, Osarenkhoe Atutie, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for attempting to murder his estranged wife, Victory Atutie, 30, in front of their young daughter on a street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Atutie admitted carrying out the November 2025 atack on Duke Street in Leith. The court heard he hugged his daughter before repeatedly stabbing Victory, leaving her with 12 stab wounds, permanent facial scarring and a collapsed lung.

She survived after three members of the public intervened, disarmed Atutie and held him until police arrived. Lord Cubie described the assault as a “sustained attack” on a defenceless victim and imposed a lifetime non-contact order, banning Atutie from contacting Victory after his release.

The couple married in Nigeria about four years before the attack and later moved to London, where their daughter was born. After their marriage broke down, Victory relocated to Edinburgh with the child. The judge said Atutie tracked them down, showing a degree of planning before the attack.

On the day of the incident, Victory was taking her daughter to a GP surgery when the child shouted, “Daddy, daddy.” The court heard Atutie threatened her with a knife, ordered her to follow him, then grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly stabbed her.

After his arrest, Atutie told police, “I am sorry things have got like this.” His lawyer said he was struggling with his mental health at the time but accepted it did not excuse his actions and acknowledged the att@ck would likely have been fatal without public intervention.

Although Atutie initially faced a 10-year sentence, it was reduced to 7½ years after he pleaded guilty. He will also remain under supervision for 18 months after his release.