A Nigerian man, Olobunmi Abodunde, has been sentenced to life in the UK for using a skateboard to kill his wife, Taiwo Abodunde, who suffered severe brain injuries.
The incident occurred on 28 November last year. Ipswich Crown Court described the attack as having a high level of violence.
Abodunde will have to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison before being considered for parole. The court was informed that the day before Mrs. Abodunde’s death, the couple had a domestic altercation which led to Abodunde’s arrest.
Despite being ordered not to contact his wife as part of his bail conditions, Abodunde went to their family home the next morning to retrieve a mobile phone.
Mrs. Abodunde, a mother of three, was returning home after working as a health care assistant overnight.
Prosecutor Stephen Spence KC informed the court that Abodunde had knowledge of his wife’s work schedule, and the CCTV footage revealed her return at approximately 09:12.
Mr. Spence further stated, “The only person who is aware of what occurred is the defendant.”
According to the court, two officers visited the residence around 09:20 to discuss the domestic incident from the previous day with Mrs. Abodunde.
“The officers made several attempts to gain a response by knocking on the door and announcing their presence, but they received no reply or any indication of distress,” Mr. Spence explained to the court.
However, it was reported that between 40 and 50 loud thuds were heard, which were believed to be the result of Abodunde attacking his wife.
According to the court, senior police officials granted officers clearance to enter the property at 09:45.
Upon entering through the front door, the officers immediately discovered the lifeless body of Mrs. Abodunde, with her skull brutally smashed in, as stated by Mr. Spence.
A postmortem examination revealed that Mrs. Abodunde had suffered severe brain injuries, described as “catastrophic.”
Additionally, her body displayed injuries consistent with being stamped on and struck with a skateboard.
The skateboard, covered in blood and fragments of skull, was found at the scene. The court was informed that the victim had also been strangled.
As Mr. Spence addressed the court, the defendant could be heard sobbing from the dock.
In defense of Abodunde, Nneka Akudolu KC stated that there was no other explanation for the extreme level of violence exhibited, apart from the medication her client was taking at the time of the murder.
Abodunde’s blood contained ibuprofen, vitamins, and steroids at the time of the incident, as stated in court.
Judge Martyn Levett mentioned during mitigation that it was unexpected that Abodunde took half an hour to locate the mobile phone inside the house.
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