Man denies hate crime murder of Dundee scientist Dr Fortune Gomo
Trial date set for January 2028 at the High Court in Dundee
Last updated 12th Oct 2026
A man accused of murdering a scientist in Dundee, in an attack prosecutors say was aggravated by race, has pleaded not guilty.
Kyler Rattray, 21, is accused of attacking 39-year-old Dr Fortune Gomo near her home on South Road on 5th July 2025.
He is alleged to have struck her repeatedly on the body with a knife.
Prosecutors say the attack was aggravated by prejudice relating to race, nationality or ethnicity. They say this will be proved under hate crime legislation.
Rattray also faces a separate charge of illegally having a knife in a public place.
What happened in court
Rattray pleaded not guilty during a remote hearing via video link at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday.
His defence lawyer, Iain Paterson KC, told the court a mental health report would be prepared in the coming months.
Mr Paterson said Professor Baron-Cohen had been instructed to assess whether Rattray has autism, which could link to a mental health defence and whether his responsibility was diminished in relation to the alleged crime.
Mr Paterson also said: "This is a troubling case - there is no getting away from it."
It was agreed that a trial would be held over eight days, starting in January 2028 at the High Court in Dundee.
Tributes to Dr Gomo
Dr Gomo was a Scottish Water employee who had studied in Scotland and Zimbabwe. She was also a mother.
She graduated from the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, and gained a PhD in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Dundee, according to social media.
Tributes were paid to her in July 2025, when she was described as an "exceptional" scientist.
Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment planning and assurance at Scottish Water, said: "Everyone at Scottish Water, where Dr Fortune Gomo worked, is shocked and saddened by her death and we send our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.
"Fortune was an exceptional scientist and a senior service planner in our water resources planning section based in Dundee where, having joined us in February, she had already become a highly valued and respected member of our team.
"We are supporting her colleagues at Scottish Water following this incident."
During the summer, Police Scotland urged the public to avoid sharing "misinformation" about the case.