Cliff Notes
- Walter Buchanan, 66, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for murdering his wife Darrel Odhiambo, 37, following an altercation triggered by accusations of infidelity.
- The attack resulted in significant injuries to Odhiambo, including neck compression and a brain injury; Buchanan was found guilty after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
- Buchanan’s violent behaviour was exacerbated by a history of abuse within the relationship, and he expressed remorse, although the judge noted his concern was primarily for himself.
Walter Buchanan: Chartered surveyor jailed for murdering wife after cheating accusation | UK News
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A chartered surveyor who murdered his wife after she accused him of cheating has been jailed for at least 15 years.
Walter Buchanan, 66, fatally attacked 37-year-old Darrel Odhiambo at their flat in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, in February 2023.
Ms Odhiambo, who was originally from Kenya, suffered “significant” compression of her neck as well as a brain injury, bruising and a rib fracture.
Buchanan, a chartered surveyor, denied murdering his wife of six years but was found guilty in January following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Lord Cubie handed down a mandatory life sentence with a minimum of 15 years behind bars.
The judge said: “She was younger than you, only 37, so you deprived her of many more years of life.
“You deprived your wife’s mother and sisters and extended family of her society.”
Lord Cubie said Buchanan had left Ms Odhiambo’s son motherless, adding: “Your actions have caused huge upset and huge upheaval for those left behind.
“Nothing that I can do or say in court today can lessen the grief and anguish that the members of your late wife’s family must feel.”
During Buchanan’s trial, the court heard how he had been out the night before the killing and received a text from his wife accusing him of infidelity.
She again accused him of cheating when he returned home, which ended in a scuffle that saw Ms Odhiambo being dragged across the floor.
Buchanan told the court he was in bed when his wife called him a “cheater” once more.
In response, he grabbed her by the wrists, pushed her on to the bed and climbed on top of her.
He further admitted grabbing her by the neck with one hand and pushing her into a pillow before she rolled over onto her side.
‘Baffling’ behaviour
It was Buchanan who dialled 999 that morning, claiming he woke up to find Ms Odhiambo “cold to the touch”.
Lord Cubie stated Ms Odhiambo’s actions or words provided “no justification, provocation or explanation for what happened”.
The judge told Buchanan: “You have had a successful professional working life; you have shown you can contribute to and participate in society.
“It is baffling that you should behave as you did and commit a very serious crime.”
Buchanan was said to have expressed remorse, but Lord Cubie noted: “I have no doubt that you regretted what had happened and that you wish you could turn the clock back, but the jury found your actions at the time to be murderous.
“And it was revealing that in your evidence you described the events as nightmare for you; you were concerned for the consequences for yourself.”
Jurors heard how the couple had a “volatile or stormy” relationship, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said.
Ms Odhiambo was said to have told friends and neighbours that she had been abused by her husband during their marriage.
After her death, abusive text messages from Buchanan were found on her mobile phone, including one which read: “I hope you die”, before he used a racial slur.
Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for COPFS, said Buchanan’s “wicked actions” had robbed Ms Odhiambo of her future.
She added: “He has now been held accountable following this prosecution, which I hope brings some comfort to all those affected by his offending.”