Man guilty of murdering wife in New Year's Day knife attack

Keotshepile Naso Isaacs was killed by her husband on New Year's Day last year

A man has been found guilty of murdering his wife in a violent knife attack after accusing her of being unfaithful.

Mompati Dodo Isaacs, 39, repeatedly stabbed Keotshepile Naso Isaacs, 33, at their home in North Berwick on New Year's Day last year.

Isaacs denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility, but he was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The had couple settled in East Lothian after moving from Botswana. Judge Lady Ross said Isaacs had killed his wife out of anger and jealousy.

She added: "There is only one sentence which it will be open to me to impose and that will be a life sentence."

Mompati Dodo Isaacs denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility, but he was convicted by a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh

The court heard that Isaacs stabbed his wife on the head, neck and body at their home in Craigleith Avenue.

Lady Ross said: "That was a place where she should have been safe. She died at the hands of a person with whom she should have been safe," she said.

The judge said the victim - known as Naso - had three sons who had "experienced great loss."

She said Naso had a responsible and valuable job as a carer and support worker.

During the trial, the court heard Isaacs believed Naso was having an affair with a colleague, Victor Unachukwa, which he denied.

Isaacs believed that, in the early hours of the morning of 1 January 2024, Naso had been texting Mr Unachukwa. He claimed this prompted him to arm himself with a knife.

During the attack Isaacs, who had been drinking, pushed his wife onto a bed and held her down.

Defence counsel Gareth Jones KC said Isaacs has a history of mental illness and was a "sad and pathetic" man who could not cope with his wife's infidelity.

But advocate depute Ali Murray, for the Crown, maintained that the evidence showed that Isaacs was a murderer whose mental health was good at the time of the killing.

Officers were called to the incident in North Berwick on New Year's Day 2024

The court heard Isaacs came to the UK from Africa before the pandemic to work in IT.

His mother believed he would receive better care for his mental health issues. He had been treated for conditions such as anxiety and depression.

The couple settled in North Berwick and Naso worked at an autism support service in Edinburgh.

Isaacs came to believe that she was cheating on him with a colleague who bought her gifts, including a black dress, shoes and perfume.

But Mr Unachukwa told the court that there was no affair between them.

During the trial, a witness said Isaacs had made allegations about an affair in a voice note posted on group chat used by work colleagues.

The witness also said Naso used to speak to her about "infidelity" and how "Dodo used to hit her".

'Love you' text

After being arrested, Isaacs was examined by psychiatrists who asked him to write about what happened on the night of the attack.

He wrote that his wife had allegedly sent Victor a "love you" text.

Isaacs said he then got the knife. He said: "I held her then I stabbed her in the back of the neck.".

Isaacs originally faced a number of further charges relating to threatening and abusive behaviour towards Naso and contacting Mr Unachukwa, making abusive remarks and accusing him of having an affair with Naso.

The Crown withdrew those charges during the course of the trial.

Lady Ross adjourned sentence for a background report.