A Nigerian man, Conrad Irabor Martin Iyayi, who was convicted of stabbing his wife to death in their home, has been given a life sentence in the United Kingdom.
The 46-year-old stabbed his wife, Kathryn (Katy) Harris, several times in the chest at their home in Oak Crescent, Littleover, Derby, in the early hours of February 6, 2022.
Iyayi phoned, inviting the police to the house shortly before 7.30am that tragic day, telling the call handler that he had killed his 52-year-old wife, Katy, Arts teacher and mother-of-three.
The couple had an 11-year-old son together.
After his arrest, Iyayi had told officers that he could not recall what had happened after he had taken drugs he bought on the dark web.
Iyayi was charged with murder on 8 February and continued to deny that he had killed his wife.
However, just two days into his trial at Derby Crown Court, he confessed his guilt.
On Friday, August 18, 2023, he was imprisoned for life and must serve a minimum of 18 years before he can be considered for release.
Iyayi’s lawyer, Amjad Malik KC, said the defendant “ruined a woman that he loved”, and who had helped him through addiction issues for “a reason that he cannot understand and a reason that will always torment him.
Sentencing, Judge Shaun Smith KC said Ms Harris “would have been aware for at least part of the attack”, adding Iyayi had written to him admitting responsibility and saying he did not know why the murder occurred.
As reported by Derby Telegraph, Kathryn was found semi-naked in the kitchen of their home by police officers.
They had been called to the address by the convict who dialled 999 from a nearby telephone box and told the operator “I have killed my wife”.
After he was arrested he gave a prepared statement to the police in which he said he had bought what he believed was methadone online through the dark web which he ingested sometime after 10.30pm on February 5, last year, and realised it was not what he thought it was.
Methadone is used to treat chronic pain, and it is also used to treat addiction to heroin or other opioids.
The convict had told the police: “I was hallucinating, my heart was beating making me think I was going to die. I woke up the next morning and walked past the kitchen where I saw my wife. What I thought was a dream must have been reality and I contacted the police. I had no intention of harming Kathryn, prior to this incident we’d had a nice evening cooking together and watching TV.”
