ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A UK court has sentenced a Nigerian man, Adedapo Adegbola, to life imprisonment for the murder of his former girlfriend, following the collapse of what prosecutors described as a brief but controlling relationship.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that Adegbola fatally attacked 23-year-old Stephanie Irons at her home in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, on October 21, after she ended their relationship.
He was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years after entering a guilty plea last month.
Prosecutors told the court that Adegbola, who worked with the victim, became increasingly obsessed with her after the relationship ended and began planning the attack days in advance.
The court heard that he purchased two knives on October 15 before travelling to Irons’ residence six days later. During the incident, she sustained fatal injuries to her neck.
Sentencing Adegbola, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said his inability to accept the end of the relationship was central to the crime.
“You had been in a brief relationship with Stephanie Irons after meeting as work colleagues. Your controlling behaviour led her to end it. What is plain is that you were not prepared to accept that,” the judge said.
READ ALSO Two Bag Life Imprisonment For Defiling Teenage Girl
In a victim impact statement read in court, Irons’ mother described her daughter as compassionate and full of life, saying her death had left the family devastated.
“I have no words to say how broken I am to have lost her in such a horrific way,” she said, according to the BBC.
Prosecutor Peter Joyce KC told the court that after the killing, Adegbola accessed Irons’ phone and sent screenshots of sexually explicit messages to her colleagues, an act the prosecution said likely occurred after her death.
Investigators said Adegbola remained at the scene for some time before fleeing with the victim’s phone and keys. He later disposed of his clothing and the weapon used in the attack.
He turned himself in to police in Hull on October 22 and was formally charged with murder. He pleaded guilty in January.
Detective Inspector Stuart Barson, speaking on behalf of the family, said they had shown “incredible strength and bravery” throughout the proceedings, describing Irons as a “kind and gentle person” whose loss had permanently altered their lives.