Phillip Dafter: Wife was ‘fighting for her life’ during husband’s fatal attack, murder trial hears

“Members of the jury, make no mistake. He knew what he had done,” says a prosecutor in a dramatic closing speech during the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife in their Northampton home.

Phillip Dafter, aged 32, fatally stabbed his 36-year-old wife, Diana Dafter at their family home in Lawrence Court on the morning of October 7, 2022.

Dafter, who is on trial at Northampton Crown Court, denies murder but admits manslaughter, arguing that his responsibility was diminished.

The court previously heard that, after Dafter stabbed his wife, he purchased knives from ASDA to stab himself repeatedly in the abdomen before getting a train to London Euston and - on arrival - telling British Transport Police that he had killed his wife.

Dafter denies murder but admits manslaughter, arguing that his responsibility was diminished.

During the last two weeks, it has been the job of prosecution barrister, Gordon Aspden KC, to convince jurors that Dafter intended to kill or cause really serious injury to his wife when he fatally stabbed her.

In his closing statement, Mr Aspden said: “The fact of the matter is Diana’s final moments consisted of a painful terrifying ordeal. He showed her no mercy. It was persistent. The number of injuries shows you he had ample opportunity during those minutes to stop, to desist, to phone 999, to spare her life. But he didn’t. It didn’t have to end like this. He had total control over this situation and he did not stop until she was dying or dead.”

He added: “Members of the jury, make no mistake. He knew what he had done.”

The court heard that Diana Dafter had a number of sharp force knife injuries to her body and five stab wounds including the fatal blow to her aorta that caused catastrophic blood loss and - in minutes - death.

Dafter, however, claimed that the attack took seconds.

Mr Aspden told the court: “This was a sustained attack. There was movement and she was fighting for her life.”

Throughout the whole hearing, Dafter held his head down in the dock, hiding his face.

Jurors were told that, in order for Dafter to be found guilty of manslaughter instead of murder, the four following criteria had to be met:

1. It was more likely than not that Dafter was suffering from an abnormality of mental function.
2. It was more likely than not that this abnormality arose from a recognised medical condition.
3. It was more likely than not that the abnormality of mental function impaired Dafter’s ability to understand the nature of his conduct, form a rational judgement or exercise self control.
4. It was more likely than not that the abnormality of mental function was a significant contributing factor in causing Dafter to inflict the injuries to his wife.

The court heard that two forensic psychiatrists agreed on points one and two - that Dafter suffered from recurrent depressive disorder at the time he killed his wife.

However, the psychiatrists disagreed on the other points. Dr Rogers believes that the defence of diminished responsibility does not apply and Dr Puri does.

Mr Aspden said there is no scientific or medical link between depressive disorder and spousal homicide. He added that Dafter, despite his condition, continued to function at a high level, running a business in Malawi and enrolling on a business course at the University of Northampton.

The court heard that, just six days after Dafter killed his wife, he told Dr Bainton that he stabbed his wife in a “moment of madness” following a row about their car and decided to harm himself afterwards. He also told the doctor he was relieved he was still alive and hoped that, one day, he wouldl be free and make a fresh start.

Mr Aspden told the court that, at this point, Dafter did not mention trying to stab himself first before his wife stopped him - just like he claimed to jurors last week.

Mr Aspden claims Dafter was lying when he told jurors that his wife did not scream, he did not continue to stab her when she was on the floor and he had no opportunity to stop because the attack was “too quick.”

Mr Aspden told jurors it should set off “alarm bells” that Dr Puri changed his diagnosis of Dafter from adjustment disorder in 2022 to recurrent depressive disorder in 2023 and doing so without considering Dr Bainton’s evidence.

David Nathan KC, defending Dafter, asked jurors: “Why did a man with no previous history of violence or aggression suddenly pick up that knife and stab his wife to death so brutally?”

He continued: “The only explanation is that something was said or something was done that suddenly made him snap and, once he realised what he had done, he turned the knife on himself wanting to die.”

Mr Nathan described Dafter’s behaviour on the morning of killing his wife was “anything but normal” and there was no suggestion that he planned the attack. In the moments leading up to the stabbing, Dafter had set up his laptop for his university lecture and had gone to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

The court heard that family members described Dafter - a once “happy, chirpy, friendly and approachable man” - became “upset and argumentative” as his mental health declined.

Diana Dafter, herself, had even expressed concern for her husband’s mental state in December 2021, telling his father that he just was not himself anymore - the court heard.

Mr Nathan said it was this evidence that made Dr Puri change his diagnosis of Dafter and say the defendant could argue diminished responsibility.

The defence barrister said that Dafter’s inconsistency in his accounts of what happened on the morning of October 7, 2022 can be put down to him misremembering those events in order to try and deal with what he did.

Mr Nathan said: “Mr Dafter will spend every waking moment for the rest of his life coming to terms with the fact that, on that terrible morning, he robbed his wife of her life.”

He told jurors: “It wasn’t something that he wanted to happen and, if you decide that is right, then he is not guilty of murder.”

His Honour Judge David Herbert KC will continue to sum up tomorrow morning (April 26), after which, jurors will be sent out to consider their verdict.