Man pleads guilty to murdering his wife in Bootle

Nimalarajah Mathiyadaranam had initially denied the attack

Author: Alex CornsPublished 15th Jan 2026

A man from Widnes accused of stabbing his wife to death has pleaded guilty to murder.

Nimalarajah Mathiyadaranam was said to have stabbed his former partner Nilani Nimalarajah a total of 18 times in the shop where she worked, Low Cost Food and Wine on Stanley Road in Bootle.

She died a short time later in hospital.

The attack was described as slow, purposeful, and deliberate - designed to give Nilani no chance at all of survival.

The prosecution says he became angry after not being invited to a significant family event - and his reaction was one of "appalling and premediated violence".

The 47-year-old from Widnes will be sentenced tomorrow (Friday, 16th January).

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