A man who stabbed his wife and left her to die on their kitchen floor before being found at London’s Euston station with multiple self-inflicted stab wounds has been jailed for life.
Phillip Dafter, a former member of the armed forces, stabbed Diana Dafter, 36, at their home in Lawrence Court, Northampton, on October 7 2022.
The court heard the couple’s marriage had experienced “difficulties”, in part because of mental health issues suffered by Dafter since the death of his mother in 2015, which he claimed his wife had “failed to empathise with”.
Mrs Dafter, a part-time carer who was studying nursing, had returned to the couple’s home on October 7 last year and an argument developed, with Dafter claiming his wife had made a comment about his vehicle.
Judge David Herbert KC said Dafter picked up a knife with “murderous intent” and stabbed Diana five times, with the fatal wound just below her armpit.
After killing his wife, Dafter went upstairs and tried to stab himself but the blade broke, so he drove to Asda to buy more knives.
He then drove to Northampton station and got on a train to London, reportedly planning to meet a family member to sort out his affairs, but he stayed on the train once it had arrived and told the conductor that he needed to speak to the police.
Police found him drunk and bleeding with 10 knife wounds to his abdomen at Euston station.
He told officers he had killed his wife and police were sent to their home address, where Diana’s body was found.
During his trial, Dafter denied murder but admitted to manslaughter, arguing loss of control and diminished responsibility.
Jurors rejected this and found him guilty of his wife’s murder.
At Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, Dafter was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years, taking into account time already spent in custody.
The judge said the last moments of Mrs Dafter’s life would have been “terrifying”.
He said: “You did nothing to help her or contact the emergency services.
“You must have watched her die in a pool of her own blood on the kitchen floor.
“You said you had a moment of madness.
“That is the closest you have ever come to telling the truth about what happened.”
Jailing Dafter, the judge said the couple’s marriage had become “resentful and argumentative” and Diana was “justified to believe you were considering leaving her”.
He said: “You violated the trust and security of your marriage.
“This was a sustained attack with a knife.
“Her last moments would have been terrifying as she did her best to protect herself.
“I accept you have remorse for what you did to your wife.
“You have accepted this killing from the outset.”
Paying tribute to Mrs Dafter, the judge said she was a “woman with many positive qualities”.
He added: “No sentence will reduce the grief and loss her family will continue to feel.”
