Osarenkhoe Atutie, 26, has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to murder his former partner, Victory Atutie, in a knife attack on a public street in Edinburgh. The attack took place on Duke Street in the Leith area on November 11 last year, in front of the couple's young daughter.
Atutie admitted the attempted murder at a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh last month. The attack was halted when three passers-by intervened and restrained him until police arrived.
Attack details
Ms Atutie sustained 12 separate injuries and was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered she had a collapsed lung and a haemothorax, a condition involving liquid in the chest cavity, which could have proved fatal. She was released four days later and has since recovered, but is left with permanent scarring.
At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, Lord Cubie handed down a nine-year extended sentence, comprising seven-and-a-half years in custody and 18 months of supervision upon release. The judge described a "sustained attack" involving repeated use of a knife, and said: "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."
Daughter's cry
The court heard that on the day of the attack, Ms Atutie was taking her daughter to a doctor's appointment when Atutie approached. The child spotted him first and excitedly shouted "daddy, daddy", but Ms Atutie initially did not believe her, thinking he was still in London. Upon seeing him, she "immediately panicked".
Atutie lifted the cover of the buggy and hugged his daughter, then told Ms Atutie: "I brought a knife, I will show you." Prosecutor Catriona MacLeod recounted that Ms Atutie continued walking, with Atutie accompanying her, and that she tried to alert a nearby man, shouting "He's going to hurt me, he's going to hurt me," but the man did not intervene, later telling police Atutie had appeared "calm".
Ms MacLeod said Atutie then "grabbed her hair and repeatedly stabbed her in the head and body" with a knife described as silver and around 10cm in length.
Sentencing and reaction
Lord Cubie issued an indefinite non-harassment order, prohibiting Atutie from approaching or contacting Ms Atutie. He noted that the attack in front of the daughter was an aggravating factor, adding: "You seem to have a limited appreciation of the long-term effects this will have on your partner and child."
Defence advocate Jonny Campbell said Atutie was "struggling with his mental health at the time of the incident", has no previous convictions, and faces a considerable possibility of deportation.
Police Scotland Detective Sergeant Craig McMillan said after sentencing: "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."
