Murder accused 'heard shouting at wife' in voicenote sent to friend before death

A woman has told a court how she heard a recording of a man shouting “did you sleep with him” to the wife he is accused of murdering.

The witness said she heard Mompati Dodo Isaacs, 39, make the allegations to his partner Keotshepile Naso Isaacs in a voice note posted on a WhatsApp group chat.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday how Mrs Isaacs, who was known as Naso, was a colleague of hers.

She said she awoke on January 1, 2024 to find she had missed many messages and calls on her phone. She then told prosecutor Ali Murray of how there was a voice note on the phone and that she was “shocked” when she listened to it.

The woman said: “I could hear Dodo and Naso talking to each other and fighting.

“It was Dodo shouting at Naso. He was shouting, “Did you sleep with him?” and “Unlock your phone.”

The witness was giving evidence on the first day of proceedings against Isaacs, who denies murdering his wife at a house in North Berwick, East Lothian, on January 1, 2024.

He denies the charge, and his lawyers have lodged a special defence stating that he had “diminished responsibility” at the time of the alleged offence.

On Thursday, the woman told jurors of how she and Naso worked together as colleagues at a service which supports people with autism.

The witness told Mr Murray that Naso – a mother of three – used to speak to her about “infidelity” and how “Dodo used to hit her”.

She told the court that she got up and checked the work chat and everybody was “talking about what was happening”.

Speaking about the voice note, Ms Ventabula said: “It was awful to hear.”

Defence advocate Gareth Jones KC spoke to the witness about a works Christmas party which took place earlier in the festive season.

Mr Jones said: “Do you recall Naso being quite close to a male called Victor at that party?”

The witness replied: “Yes.”

Isaacs is facing a total of three charges. At the start of proceedings, jurors heard the contents of a legal document detailing the claims.

Prosecutors claim that between October 1, 2022 and January 1, 2024, at addresses in North Berwick, Botswana and during a bus journey in Edinburgh, Isaacs engaged “in a course of behaviour which was abusive” towards his wife.

The Crown claims that as part of this alleged course of conduct, Isaacs controlled Naso’s income and repeatedly did “interrogate and track her mobile phone without her knowledge”

Prosecutors also say that in April 2023, at an address in Botswana, Issacs repeatedly shouted at Naso and threw a box of beer at her, causing the “contents to spill on her.”

It’s said that he followed her into a house, before seizing her by the hair and repeatedly slapping her on the face – this allegedly caused her to fall to the ground, and it’s claimed that the accused repeatedly kicked her on the body “all to her injury”.

The second charge alleges that on two separate occasions on December 13, 2023, at an address in North Berwick, Issacs behaved in a “threatening or abusive” manner which was likely to cause a “reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm.”

It’s said in this charge that he called a man from a phone belonging to Naso and that he repeatedly made “abusive remarks to him.”

Prosecutors say that he accused the man of “having an affair” with Naso during the calls. The Crown claims that his alleged behaviour breached “section 38 (1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Scotland Act 2010”.

The final charge claims that on January 1, 2024, at Craigleith Avenue, Isaacs assaulted Naso and shouted at her before pushing her onto a bed.

It’s claimed that he held her down before repeatedly stabbing and striking her on the head, neck and body “with a knife” and that he murdered her.

Isaacs has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial, before Judge Lady Ross, continues on Friday.