Momodou Bobb, 56, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh following the fatal stabbing of his wife, Ndata Bobb, at their home on Restalrig Avenue. The tragic attack occurred on 28 August last year, after emergency services were called to reports of a violent fight.
Police arrived to find Bobb calm but bloodstained, while his wife was suffering from fatal injuries, including a severed jugular vein.
The court was told that Ndata Bobb was stabbed at least 22 times in what Lady Haldane described as an “undoubtedly frenzied” attack. The wounds were found across her face, neck, chest, abdomen, back, and arms, and included defensive injuries. Despite paramedics initially detecting faint heart activity, a fatal cut to her neck caused her death.
During the stabbing, the couple’s four children were in their bedrooms. The brutal incident has left the family devastated. Bobb’s defence counsel noted that he was distraught over the impact of the attack on his children.
Sentencing Bobb to a minimum of 16 years and eight months before he can be considered for parole, Lady Haldane stated that no credible explanation was offered for the violence. Bobb pleaded guilty to murder aggravated by abuse of a partner. He denied any history of domestic abuse and now faces possible deportation.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait described the killing as “heartbreaking and senseless,” emphasising the devastating effect on the family. Two bloodstained knives were recovered from the scene. Bobb suffered serious hand injuries and claimed the knife had “slipped.”
Originally from Gambia, Bobb moved to the UK in 1995 and was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2002. His wife, also Gambian-born, relocated to Scotland in 2018 after the death of her first husband.
Originally published by UKNIP.
