Husband murdered half-naked wife in kitchen knife attack as son slept upstairs

02 August 2023 , 12:41

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Mum-of-three, Derby-based teacher Katy Harris (Image: Family picture)

A dad on trial for murder after stabbing his half-naked wife to death in their kitchen whilst on drugs he bought off the dark web, has changed his plea to guilty on day two of a bombshell court trial.

Conrad Iyayi stabbed his wife, mum-of-three, Katy Harris to death in the kitchen of their Derby property in what the prosecution called “a brutal and needless killing” in February, 2022. Shortly before the bloody attack, the dad had taken drugs he'd bought off the dark web.

At Derby Crown Court today (Weds) he changed his formerly not guilty plea, admitting his role in her murder. The attack took place whilst their young son, 11-year-old Theo, slept upstairs at the home, all the while unaware of the horror that was unfolding.

Yesterday, the case was opened at Derby Crown Court, the jury of eight women and four men heard two 999 calls the 46-year-old accused made to the police shortly before 7.30am on February 6, last year. In the first he said: “Just get the police here straight away. Get the police here, I have killed somebody."

Hundreds braved miserable weather to honour the 'wonderful' mum-of-three (Derby Telegraph)

Asked who he has killed, DerbyshireLive reported Iyayi replied: "My wife." Then, just six minutes later he makes a second call demanding to know where the police are. During the first day of the trial, Gordon Aspden, KC, said: "Uniformed officers arrived and he met them in the street. He had a deep cut to hs left hand and he had heavily blood-stained clothing. They asked him what had happened and he said 'I think my wife might be dead, I am not saying anything I want to see a solicitor'.

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"Police officers entered the house using the conservatory door and inside the property police found Kathryn Iyayi's dead body. It was face down on the kitchen floor in a large pool of blood, she was wearing just a black t-shirt. Three large kitchen knives were found close by, the knife block on the kitchen hob was empty. Each knife was blood-stained.”

The prosecutor said police and paramedics tried in vain to save Katy but she was pronounced dead at the scene. He said: "Theo was asleep in the bedroom and was woken by the police officer and removed from the house so he did not see what we have just been looking at."

Tributes left to Katy Harris, a teacher from Derby (Derby Telegraph)

After Iyayi was arrested he gave a prepared statement to the police in which he said he had bought what he believed was methadone online through the dark web which he ingested sometime after 10.30pm on February 5, last year, and realised it was not what he thought it was. He said: "I was hallucinating, my heart was beating making me think I was going to die. I woke up the next morning and walked past the kitchen where I saw my wife. What I thought was a dream must have been reality and I contacted the police. I had no intention of harming Kathryn, prior to this incident we'd had a nice evening cooking together and watching TV."

Shortly after the court assembled today, around 1pm, Iyayi changed his plea to guilty. While in the police car following his arrest, Iyayi asked: "What am I under arrest for?" to which the officer replies: "Murder." The defendant then says: "Oh right." At the police station he tells those present that he uses methadone which Mr Aspden explained to the jury is a prescription opiate given to people who are recovering drug addicts. Iyayi also said he had been drinking brandy.

Iyayi then made a number of statements in custody which were noted down by officers but he refused to sign later. This included him confessing to buying methadone off the dark web, and "now you have got a murder, that's the danger of drugs".

Katy, who had three children, had worked at St Clare's School in Mickleover until her death. It is a community special needs school for children with learning difficulties, autism and physical impairment.

Judge Shaun Smith KC has adjourned the sentence until August 18 and called into question whether the dad could remember the attack, or not. He said: "Mr Iyayi, I don't know whether or not you can or cannot remember what happened that evening. I know from my own experience that very often, even though someone has done something really bad, they say they can't remember and people are sceptical. If you can remember what you did or why you did it obviously that's going to help but if you can't you can't, it's as simple as that."

Speaking about the sentencing, Amjad Malik KC, defending said: "There can only be one sentence in this case." He added that the sentencing would hear victim impact statements from the family.

Martin Naylor