A UK court has sentenced 40-year-old Nigerian Adedapo Adegbola to life imprisonment for the murder of his former girlfriend, 23-year-old university student Steph Irons, in Nottingham, England.
According to reports, Nottingham Crown Court sentenced Adegbola after he admitted to killing Irons at her Mapperley home on October 21, 2025, following the breakdown of their short-lived relationship. The pair had met while working together.
Prosecutors detailed that Adegbola became obsessed after their breakup. He ordered two knives online, traveled by taxi to her home, and attacked her as she stepped outside to take out the trash. He then forced his way inside and stabbed her repeatedly.
The alarm was raised when Irons’ colleagues received alarming messages from her phone. Police discovered her body in the living room, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
After the killing, Adegbola fled, discarding bloodstained clothing and evidence along streets in Mapperley and Carlton. Nottinghamshire Police tracked his movement through Mansfield, Worksop, Sheffield, and Hull before he eventually surrendered. He declined to speak during questioning.
The judge sentenced Adegbola to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years before parole consideration.
Detective Inspector Stuart Barson, the lead investigator, described Irons as a “kind and compassionate young woman” whose life was cut short in “terrifying circumstances.” He noted Adegbola made no attempt to seek help for her, choosing instead to flee.
In a victim impact statement, Irons’ mother said her daughter’s death had devastated the family. They described the student, who aspired to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology, as loving, caring, and full of promise.
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