Husband pleads guilty to killing wife Diana Dafter at their family home in Northampton

Diana Dafter's body was found at her family home in Lawrence Court, Lower Mounts on October 7, 2022.

The defendant denies murdering his wife but admitted to her manslaughter

A 32-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife at their family home in Northampton.

Phillip Dafter, of Lawrence Court in Lower Mounts, is accused of killing his wife 36-year-old mum-of-two Diana Dafter after her body was discovered at their shared flat shortly after midday on October 7, 2022.

That same day, British Transport Police found Mr Dafter with a number of serious stab injuries at London’s Euston Station and placed him under medical supervision at a nearby hospital.

Mr Dafter was charged with his wife’s murder one week later on October 14.

The defendant appeared at Northampton Crown Court today (April 11), wearing a purple shirt, glasses and a gold cross.

The 32-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter.

Mr Dafter’s trial is expected to open tomorrow (Wednesday, April 12).

The Chronicle & Echo has been told that Diana Dafter and Phillip Dafter, both from Malawi, had been together for around 13 years.

Diana, who was a student nurse at the University of Northampton and working as a carer at St Andrew’s Hospital, has been described as a “lovely person, who got on well with everybody around her,” “caring” and “always smiling.”

A GoFundMe page was set up by Julian Sheriff, from The Malawi Association UK Northampton Ladies, to raise £11,000 to take Diana’s body back home to Malawi and help her children - aged six and 11 - who are now being looked after by their uncle and his wife.

As of today (April 11), the page has raised over £5,000 and donations have been disabled.