Man jailed for murdering wife at North Berwick home in row over affair on New Year's Day

Key Points

Mompati Dodo Isaacs, 39, has been jailed for life for murdering his wife, Keotshepile “Naso” Isaacs, on New Year’s Day 2024 in North Berwick
He claimed diminished responsibility but a High Court jury found him guilty of murder
The court heard Isaacs believed his wife was having an affair with a colleague
Witnesses said he was jealous, violent, and accused her of cheating before the attack
Isaacs stabbed Naso repeatedly after seeing messages he thought proved infidelity

A man who murdered his wife in a knife attack at their home on New Year’s Day has been sentenced to life in jail.

Mompati Dodo Isaacs, 39, said he believed his spouse cheated on him as he repeatedly stabbed her on the head, neck and body at their home in Craigleith Avenue, North Berwick, on January 1 last year.

Keotshepile Naso Isaacs, 33, – known as Naso – earlier told her attacker: “I love you till the coffin drops.”

Isaacs had denied murdering his wife claiming that at the time he was suffering from “diminished responsibility”, which can lead to a conviction for the lesser offence of culpable homicide.

But a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh rejected that last month and convicted Isaacs of murder. On Friday, he received a life prison sentence with a minimum of 21 years behind bars.

Isaacs will not automatically be released after his 21-year minimum jail term elapses. He will be released when the parole board is satisfied he no longer poses a risk to the public.

Passing sentence, Lady Ross recalled the circumstances of the attack on Naso.

She said: “You stabbed her nine times to the head and neck. She must have suffered pain and experienced horrific fear.

“Naso was 33. She was a mother to your three children. The knowledge of your actions will be a continuing burden to them.

“At the time of the attack your words and actions show jealously on your part. This was a brutal and violent attack with a knife against your wife who was utterly defenceless.

“This was an utterly despicable act.”

At earlier proceedings, Lady Ross said that Naso had a responsible and valuable job as a carer and support worker, adding that her life being cut short at the age of 33 was tragic.

A statement issued by Naso’s cousin, Boitshepo Okgethetsweng, on behalf of her family said: “We lost a special person far too soon.

“Keotshepile Naso was our guiding light and a pillar of strength for our family. She was a mother, sister, cousin, niece and friend to many.

“One of the qualities that defined Naso was her unwavering kindness. She was very kind and generous, the most selfless person I know, who would put her family’s needs before hers.

“We never thought one day we would be writing tribute messages for her and it’s hard to believe that she is gone. She lit up every room she walked into.

“She will forever be remembered as a mother who sacrificed a lot for her children, a mother who fought silent battles protecting the dignity of her family.

“We have people who find themselves in similar situations and they fight silently with the fear of asking for help from the relevant authorities.

“I would like to encourage them to look for help before it’s too late. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has been supportive and checked on us. We appreciate it. Naso’s memories will live on forever.”

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

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

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

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

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.

The court heard that Isaacs came to the UK before the pandemic to work in IT. His mother also believed he would receive better care for his mental health issues. He had been treated for conditions such as anxiety and depression.

He and his wife settled in North Berwick, and Naso worked at a service in the Edinburgh area which supports people with autism.

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

The man told the court that there was no affair between them.

During evidence in the trial, a witness said she heard a recording of Isaacs shouting, “Did you sleep with him?” in the hours after the death.

She said she heard Isaacs make the allegations in a voice note posted on a WhatsApp group chat used by work colleagues

She said she awoke on January 1 last year to find she had missed many messages and calls on her phone. She said when she listened to the voice note, she was “shocked”.

The woman told the court: “I could hear Dodo and Naso talking to each other and fighting. It was Dodo shouting at Naso. He was shouting, ‘Did you sleep with him?’ and ‘Unlock your phone.’”

The witness said that the mother of three, Naso, used to speak to her about “infidelity” and how “Dodo used to hit her”.

Mr Jones asked her about a work Christmas party which took place earlier in the festive season and said: “Do you recall Naso being quite close to a male called Victor?” to which the woman replied “Yes.”

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

He wrote that his wife had allegedly sent the man 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.”

The court heard that Isaacs said her last words were: “I love you.”

Isaacs originally faced further charges. He was accused of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards his wife between October 1, 2022, and January 1, 2024, at addresses in North Berwick, during a bus journey to Edinburgh and in Botswana.

What is the Crown saying?

Dr Emma Forbes, procurator fiscal for domestic abuse at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said:

“Mompati Dodo Isaacs is a dangerous and controlling man who killed his wife by repeatedly stabbing her at their home, where she had the right to be safe.

“His campaign of domestic abuse, culminating in this violent murder, has robbed Keotshepile Naso Isaacs of her future and left her young children and loved ones to deal with this unimaginable loss.

“Isaacs is solely responsible for his choices, decisions and actions and has now been held accountable following this prosecution.

“We know that domestic abuse and related homicides are gendered crimes which largely affect women and their children.

“Scotland’s prosecutors will continue to do all that we can to hold perpetrators to account while supporting those affected by this insidious crime.”

Can infidelity be used as a defence?

Isaacs had attempted to have his conviction reduced to culpable homicide through the defence of provocation by sexual infidelity.

But it’s a legal measure that could soon be abolished.

Thomas Ross KC told STV News: “We would probably describe it as a partial defence because if the position taken by the accused is successful, then the effect would be to reduce the crime from murder to culpable homicide – it wouldn’t result in a complete acquittal.

“But that is a substantial advantage and it could result in a difference of many, many years of imprisonment, so it’s an important factor and one for many years that has seemed a bit out of date. It’s not a surprise really that the Scottish Law Commission, when they were reviewing the law of homicide, have recommended its abolition.”