A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to murdering his former girlfriend, a promising young psychologist, after she ended their brief relationship, prosecutors said Monday.
Adedapo Adegbola admitted to fatally stabbing Stephanie Irons, 23, at her home in Mapperley, Nottinghamshire, on the evening of October 21, 2025, Nottingham Crown Court heard. The Nigerian national faces a mandatory life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for February 5.
Police said Adegbola, a former work colleague of the victim, was motivated by the end of their relationship. He attacked Irons at her residence on Westdale Lane, West, before fleeing the scene, leaving behind a trail of blood-stained evidence.
Emergency services were called to the property at 10:07 p.m. after Irons’s co-workers raised the alarm following a series of “concerning messages” sent to them that evening. Paramedics discovered Irons with fatal stab wounds in her living room. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the attack, Adegbola did not attempt to call for an ambulance, investigators said. Instead, he fled to Mansfield, discarding blood-stained trainers and a jumper on the streets of Mapperley and Carlton. He then travelled through Worksop, Sheffield, and Hull before returning to Nottingham the next morning and surrendering to police at Oxclose Police Station on October 22.
During subsequent interviews, Adegbola refused to answer detectives’ questions, responding only with “no comment.” However, investigators used CCTV footage, digital evidence, and witness accounts to track his movements before, during, and after the killing. He was charged with murder on October 24.
“This is a tragic case in which a caring and compassionate young woman was taken away in horrific circumstances,” said Detective Inspector Stuart Barson, the lead investigator. “Following the attack on Miss Irons, Adegbola made no attempt to call for an ambulance and was concerned only with getting away from the scene and attempting to dispose of vital evidence.”
Judge Nirmal Shant KC told Adegbola during Monday’s brief hearing that he faced a mandatory life sentence, with only the minimum term to be determined. Members of Irons’s family were present in court to hear the guilty plea.
Irons, who held both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in clinical psychology, was preparing to apply for a doctorate program when she was killed. In a statement released after her death, her family described her as having “an infectious smile and laugh which lit up any room she walked into.”
“She was a beautiful, loving and caring daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend,” the family said. “She had compassion for others and would always see good in everybody. She had a huge heart and wore it on her sleeve.”
The family added, “Her ambition to be a psychologist was well on the way. Our bright young star has had her future taken away, and while we can’t comprehend what has happened, she will be forever with us.”
Detective Inspector Barson thanked the victim’s family for their strength throughout the investigation, expressing hope that the guilty plea would help them come to terms with their loss.
Adegbola, of Woodborough Road, Mapperley, and formerly of Westfield Lane, Mansfield, has been remanded in custody pending sentencing next month.
