Edinburgh dad shoots wife dead before taking his own life over 'text message row'

An Edinburgh oil drilling boss shot his celebrity wife dead in a murder-suicide in their Turkish family home amid an alleged row over her text messages.

David Thomas Blyth shot his wife, singer and comedian Victoria Vera Blyth, on June 11, reports The Daily Record. It's understood the 53-year-old murdered his 40-year-old partner before taking his own life in the Turkey capital, Ankara.

All three of the couple's children are understood to have been present at the time as medics pronounced both Blyth and Victoria dead at the scene.

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Nobody else was injured as a result of the incident Locals have reported that Blyth, who was the owner of an international company named ASE Inspection, shot his wife dead following an argument that broke out between the pair over Victoria's text messages.

The couple's three children, aged four, 10 and 14, have since been placed in the care of their mother's relatives, who travelled to Turkey following the tragedy. Tributes have poured in for Victoria, who was a well-known singer and comedian in the Czech Republic.

Victoria's sister, Alexandra, posted on Instagram: "It is with deep sadness and pain that I have to announce that my beloved and beautiful sister, the sunshine of our lives who brought us so much joy, with her laughter, positive spirit, drive and energy, has left us forever. Please, I'm begging you all, give us time for the sake of the children.

"My family is going through a very difficult time because they lost both parents. We recently buried our father and now our sister and brother-in-law and we need time to recover, but most of all we need to be here for the children.

"We really appreciate your beautiful messages, but in these difficult times we need time to breathe."

A statement released through Victoria's family lawyer reads: "During this difficult time, we would like to ask for the family's privacy. The loss of loved ones is extremely painful, and the whole family needs time to process this misfortune and find out all the necessary matters related to these moments."

Victoria and Blyth married in 2014. They initially lived in Prague together but moved to Turkey in 2019 after he started doing business in the Middle East.

A statement on ASG Inspection's website says Blyth's firm is an independent oil and gas inspection provider with clients worldwide. After moving, reports suggest that Victoria became heavily involved in her new local community.

Victoria shot to fame in 2004 following the release of her first album, Killing Me Softly, which was renowned for her cover of the American rock band Eagles' Hotel California. In the past, she also co-hosted the Morning Show on Europe 2 alongside Czech broadcaster Leoš Mareš.

She was born in South Africa before moving to the Czech Republic with her family as a teenager, where she went on to study music. She has been remembered as being the "sunshine" of their lives who brought "joy", "laughter" and "positive spirit".

Speaking during an interview with a newspaper in the Czech Republic, Victoria said: "In January, we will be moving to Turkey with our children. My husband is starting a business there and I will help him with it.

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"I'm sorry to leave the Czech Republic, I like it here. But at the same time, I'm really looking forward to the fact that we'll all be together soon."

In a separate interview, she said of her move: “We fly to my husband's house (to Ankara) from time to time. The children are growing up and they need a father. We must consider all options for the sake of the children."

According to Turkish media outlet Hurriyet, David's remains have been handed over to his family to be taken back to Scotland while Victoria's body remains in Turkey. It is understood that a police investigation into the murder-suicide remains ongoing.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it was assisting Blyth's family.

A spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic said: "We can confirm that a Czech citizen died a violent death in Turkey. Our embassy is in contact with the family and provides consular assistance. Out of consideration for the survivors, we will not be releasing any further information."

The Record approached the Turkish Police Association for comment.