A 26-year-old Nigerian, Osarenkhoe Atutie, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by a United Kingdom court after admitting to the attempted murder of his partner during a knife attack in Leith, Edinburgh.
According to a report published on the Police Scotland website on Wednesday and obtained by The Punch on Thursday, Atutie pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.
BBC reported that the police said the attack happened on the morning of November 11, 2025, in the Duke Street area of Leith.
Investigators said Atutie, who knew the 30-year-old victim, repeatedly stabbed her in the head and body with a knife.
The victim received assistance from members of the public before emergency responders arrived.
Those who intervened also restrained Atutie until police officers got to the scene and arrested him.
The woman was rushed to hospital for treatment and was later discharged.
Meanwhile, UK newspaper Daily Star reported that Atutie carried out the attack in the presence of the couple’s young daughter, leaving the victim with at least 12 separate stab wounds.
Reacting to the judgment, Detective Sergeant Craig McMillan described the incident as deeply disturbing.
“My thoughts are with the victim and her family,” he said.
McMillan also praised members of the public whose swift intervention prevented the attack from ending in tragedy.
“I’d like to thank those members of the public who came to the victim’s aid during the ordeal. Without their intervention and assistance, there is a high chance that the victim would not have survived the attack,” McMillan said.
He reaffirmed Police Scotland’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, stressing that violent crime and the possession of weapons have no place in society.
“Violence in any form and the possession of weapons in any environment has no place in Scotland and is entirely unacceptable. Tackling the harmful effects of violent crime, which has a devastating impact on individuals, families and our communities, and supporting victims remains a priority for our officers,” he said.
The conviction comes months after The PUNCH reported on February 6, 2026, that another Nigerian, 40-year-old Adedapo Adegbola, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the UK for murdering his 23-year-old former girlfriend, Steph Irons, in Nottingham, England.
Adegbola had admitted fatally stabbing Irons at her home in October 2025 after their relationship ended.
