A man who murdered his wife following a violent attack at their home has been jailed for life.
Walter Buchanan, 66, was found guilty of killing Darrel Odhiambo on 22 January 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The mother-of-one suffered serious injuries, including significant compression of her neck, during a ‘deliberate’ assault at the property in Hamilton on 18 February 2023.
At 07.12am, Buchanan called the emergency services and claimed he had found his 37-year-old wife not breathing.
The court heard how the couple had a ‘volatile or stormy’ relationship.
Darrel had 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 you black *******”.
Following eight days of evidence, Buchanan was convicted of murder.
On 2 April 2025, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Buchanan was ordered to serve a minimum of 15 years in custody.
Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said:
“Darrel Odhiambo was a loving mother, daughter, sister and friend, who had the right to be safe in her relationship and home.
“But instead, she was murdered by her husband Walter Buchanan, whose wicked actions have robbed her of her future.
“He has now been held accountable following this prosecution, which I hope brings some comfort to all those affected by his offending.
“Domestic abuse is an unacceptable blight on our communities and perpetrators must be brought to justice.
“I would encourage all victims of similar offending to report their experiences to the authorities and seek support.”