Osarenkhoe Atutie, 26, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years for attempting to murder his ex-partner by stabbing her 12 times in front of their daughter on a busy Edinburgh street. The attack occurred on November 11 last year on Duke Street in the Leith area, leaving the victim with a collapsed lung and 12 separate injuries.
Bystanders intervene
The assault was halted when three bystanders intervened, disarming Atutie and restraining him until emergency services arrived. At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, Lord Cubie imposed a nine-year extended sentence, comprising seven-and-a-half years in custody and 18 months of supervision on licence upon release.
Lord Cubie told Atutie: “She could have died as a result of your actions. It is through a combination of luck and the intervention of three passers-by that she survived. They disarmed you and held you till police arrived and they are to be commended.” He added: “That the attack took place in front of your daughter is an aggravating factor. You seem to have a limited appreciation of the long-term effects this will have on your partner and child.”
Background of the attack
The court heard that Atutie met his partner in Nigeria, where they married and moved to London before having a child. Following the breakdown of the relationship, the victim moved to Edinburgh with their daughter, while Atutie remained in London. On the day of the attack, the victim was taking her daughter to a doctor's appointment when Atutie approached them. The child spotted him first and shouted “daddy, daddy”, but the victim initially did not believe her, thinking he was in London. When she saw him, she “immediately panicked”.
Atutie lifted the cover of the buggy to hug his daughter before telling the victim: “I brought a knife, I will show you.” Prosecutor Catriona MacLeod said the victim continued walking, with Atutie alongside her, and that she was scared because she knew he was going to hurt her. At one point, she shouted to a nearby man, “He’s going to hurt me, he’s going to hurt me,” but the man did not act, later telling police Atutie had seemed “calm”.
Injuries and aftermath
Atutie grabbed the victim's hair and repeatedly stabbed her in the head and body with a knife described as having a silver blade around 10cm long. She was taken to hospital, where, in addition to a collapsed lung, she was found to have a haemothorax – fluid in the chest cavity – which the court heard can be fatal. She was discharged four days later and has since made a full recovery, though she has been left with scarring.
Defence advocate Jonny Campbell said Atutie was “struggling with his mental health at the time of the incident”, but that this does not justify his actions. He noted Atutie has no previous convictions and will now have a significant period of reflection. Campbell also said there is a significant chance Atutie will be deported.
Detective Sergeant Craig McMillan of Police Scotland said: “This was a particularly harrowing incident, and my thoughts are with the victim and her family. 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. Tackling violence against women and girls is one of Police Scotland’s highest priorities and we continue to work with partners to achieve this.”
