Two years after relocating to UK, abusive Nigerian beats wife to death with son’s skateboard

An abusive husband has beaten his wife fatally using their son’s skateboard while police waited outside for permission to enter from superiors.

Officers heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the house that the killer-hubby, Olubunmi Abodunde, had gone into despite bail conditions imposed the day before that banned him from the property following another violent episode.

When they finally entered 25 minutes later, they found his wife, Taiwo Abodunde, 41, with her skull smashed in’.

Abodunde, 48, who had been repeatedly investigated by Suffolk Police about domestic violence, was due to go on trial for murder but changed his plea to guilty yesterday after a jury had been sworn in.

Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, warned him the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.

Suffolk Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which confirmed three officers were under investigation.

An IOPC spokesman said: ‘We advised two Suffolk officers that they are under investigation for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.

‘We advised another officer that they are under investigation at the level of misconduct.’

Abodunde had a history of jealousy and suspicion, and he accused his wife of having affairs.

He had been investigated by police a number of times over alleged domestic violence incidents before his wife’s death.

He was arrested on April 27, 2023, when police arrived at the couple’s home in Newmarket, Suffolk, and found Mrs. Abodunde with a split lip.

Later that day, he was freed on police bail with the condition that he stayed away from the marital home and didn’t approach his wife.

But after working a night shift at Tesco, he went home just after 9 a.m. to allegedly pick up his mobile phone.

Two officers arrived at 9.20 a.m. to take a statement from Mrs. Abodunde about the previous night’s incident and heard repeated banging noises inside.

But it wasn’t until 9.55 a.m. that they forced their way in after getting approval from senior officers and found Mrs. Abodunde ‘obviously dead’ near the front door.

A post-mortem examination later showed she had been throttled until she fell unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were broken, before her husband used the skateboard to finish her off. The blows were so violent that the skateboard was damaged.

Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court the banging officers heard was likely to have been Abodunde continuing to attack his wife after she was unconscious or dead.

During the hearing, the court heard that the couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022.

As well as clashes over the alleged affairs, there were also arguments about bills.

Mrs. Abodunde had a job as a care home assistant in Cambridge, but her husband, who had trained as a civil engineer, was unable to find work in his profession and took shifts at Tesco and Wickes.

After his arrest for the murder, Abodunde was taken to the hospital ‘because he appeared to have some sort of mental episode’.

He later claimed in a statement to the police that he had acted in self-defence, saying, “My wife has subjected me to physical abuse for a number of years.

“On November 28, we got into an argument. She ran at me with a knife. I grabbed the knife and cut my hand. I was defending myself.”

But the court heard that, while he did have an injury to his hand, there wasn’t a knife near his wife’s body.

Nneka Akudolu KC, defending, said the level of violence was ‘completely out of character’ for her client and might have been affected by the medication he was taking. But she said no medical evidence would be provided to support this claim.

Detective Inspector Dan Connick, of Suffolk Police, said after the hearing: ‘This was an awful attack on a woman that has had a lasting impact on the community and, most importantly, on the victim’s family.

‘We are pleased that Taiwo’s family will no longer have to go through the pain of a trial.

‘Our thoughts remain with Taiwo’s family and friends, and we hope this result will bring some small comfort to them.’

Taiwo Abodunde worked for Cambridge Manor Care Home, which provides dementia, residential, and respite care.

A spokesman for the facility, which is owned by TLC Care, said: “We are all deeply shaken and upset by the tragic death of Taiwo, who was a much-loved member of our home community.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family. Taiwo always cared for those we support with compassion and kindness, and she will be greatly missed by all of us and our residents.”

Aboodunde was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 9.