Osarenkhoe Atutie. Credit: BBC

A Nigerian man, Osarenkhoe Atutie, has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to murder his estranged wife in front of their young daughter on a street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to BBC on Wednesday, Atutie, 26, admitted carrying out the knife attack on Duke Street, Leith, in November 2025, after tracking down his wife, Victory Atutie, following the breakdown of their marriage.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the 30-year-old victim suffered 12 stab wounds, including injuries that left her with facial scarring and a collapsed lung.

Sentencing him, Lord Cubie described the assault as “a sustained attack” on a “defenceless victim” and imposed a lifetime non-harassment order, banning Atutie from contacting his estranged wife.

The judge said, “She could have died. It was plainly through a combination of luck and the intervention of passers-by that she survived.”

“They bravely disarmed you and held you until police arrived. They are to be commended.

“The victim’s daily life, her sense of security and overall wellbeing have been fundamentally affected.”

The court heard that the couple married in Nigeria about four years before the attack and later relocated to London, where their daughter was born.

Following the collapse of their marriage, Victory moved to Edinburgh with their child, but Atutie later tracked them down, a move the judge said demonstrated “a degree of foresight” before the attack.

On the day of the incident, Victory was pushing her daughter in a pram to a GP surgery when the child spotted Atutie and shouted, “Daddy, daddy.”

The court heard that Victory immediately became alarmed after seeing him.

Atutie reportedly told her he had a knife and ordered her to follow him before grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly stabbing her in the head and body.

Three members of the public intervened, disarmed the attacker and restrained him until police officers arrived.

Victory was hospitalised for four days following the attack.

After his arrest, Atutie reportedly told police, “I am sorry things have got like this.”

Defence lawyer Jonny Campbell said his client acknowledged the seriousness of his actions.

“He recognises, but for the intervention of members of the public, the consequences for the victim may likely have been fatal,” Campbell said.

“He was struggling with his mental health at the time, but that does not justify his actions.”

He also noted that the victim had shown remarkable compassion despite the ordeal.

“In the victim impact statement there is a high level of empathy, which is to her credit and which Mr Atutie does not necessarily deserve,” he added.

Detective Sergeant Craig McMillan of Police Scotland praised the members of the public who intervened during the attack.

“Without their intervention and assistance, there is a high chance that the victim would not have survived the attack,” he said.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is one of Police Scotland’s highest priorities and we continue to work with partners to achieve this.”

Atutie’s original 10-year prison sentence was reduced to seven-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty. He will also remain under supervision for 18 months after his release.