Motswana convicted of wife's murder in UK
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:37
According to BBC News, 39-year-old Mompati Dodo Isaacs fatally stabbed his wife, Keotshepile Naso Isaacs, 33, at their home in North Berwick, Scotland, on New Year’s Day in 2024. The state is currently assessing Isaacs' life history to determine an appropriate sentence.
The couple, originally from Botswana, had relocated to East Lothian, where Naso, the Otse native, worked as a carer and support worker, whilst Isaacs was employed in the IT sector.
BBC News revealed that during the trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, it emerged that Isaacs repeatedly stabbed his wife in the head, neck, and body after accusing her of being unfaithful. He had initially denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility due to mental health issues, but a jury convicted him.
Judge Lady Ross, who presided over the case, said Isaacs killed his wife out of anger and jealousy. She told the court, “There is only one sentence which it will be open to me to impose, and that will be a life sentence. She was killed at a place where she should have been safe, and she also died at the hands of a person with whom she should have been safe.”
The court heard that the deceased, who was known as Naso, left behind three sons who had experienced great loss.
Isaacs’ defence counsel, Gareth Jones, argued he suffered from a history of mental illness and struggled to cope with suspicions of his wife’s alleged infidelity. However, prosecutors maintained his mental health was stable at the time of the killing.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Isaacs suspected Naso was having an affair with her colleague, Victor Unachukwa, who denied any romantic involvement. Isaacs believed she had been texting Unachukwa on the morning of the attack, which he claimed triggered his violent outburst. BBC News further stated that 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.
It was reported that 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.' '
Furthermore, the witness had revealed that the deceased used to speak to her about “infidelity” and how “Dodo used to hit her”.
The court also heard that Isaacs had previously accused his wife of infidelity and was abusive towards her. A witness testified that Naso once confided that she was being physically assaulted by her husband.
It was reported that defence counsel Jones had stated that Isaacs had a history of mental illness and was a “sad and pathetic” man who could not cope with his wife’s alleged infidelity.
However, 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.