Brit businessman, 53, shoots TV star wife dead before taking his own life in murder-suicide after ‘row over texts’
A BRIT tycoon shot and killed his TV star wife in a horror murder-suicide after the couple reportedly rowed over text messages.
Cruel killer David Thomas Blyth, originally from Edinburgh, gunned down his wife Victoria Vera Blyth at their home in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, June 11.
The 53-year-old owner of international oil company ASG Inspection is believed to have murdered his 40-year-old partner before shooting himself.
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet suggested that Blyth shot his wife after an argument that broke out between them over text messages.
The nature of the reported messages is unclear – and the investigation is ongoing.
The couple married in 2014 and had three children together – with Victoria having a singing career under the name Victoria Velvet before moving into TV.
Czech media reported the family lived in a luxurious villa in the Turkish capital.
All three of their kids, aged four, 10 and 14, are understood to have been at home at the time of the tragedy.
They have been placed in the care of their mother’s relatives, who travelled to Turkey.
In a statement, the family said: “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 found fame after she released her first album in 2004 and was best known for her cover of the Eagles’ Hotel California.
She was also a co-host on the Morning Show on Europe 2 alongside Czech broadcaster Leoš Mareš.
Victoria was born in South Africa and moved to the Czech Republic as a teen with her family where she went on to study music.
She married Blyth in 2014 and they initially lived in Prague together.
They moved to Turkey in 2019 after Blyth started doing business in the Middle East.
Her sister, Alexandra, wrote a heartfelt tribute to her “beautiful” sibling on Instagram.
And revealed that the family recently buried their father.
She said: “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.”
She added: “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.”
According to local reports, Blyth’s remains have been handed over to his family to be taken back to Scotland.
Victoria’s body remains in Turkey.
A friend of Victoria’s told Blesk.cz that Victoria planned to buy a ranch and return to her music.
And in one of her final interviews, the singer said: “I don’t like to plan completely into the future, because you never know what can happen.”
Music producer Petr Dvorak told expres.cz: “She was beautiful, exotic and always smiling.
“It is a shock to hear such news. I don’t understand what could have happened there.”
He added: “I know she went abroad with a guy and had children, but we haven’t been in touch. I remember meeting together with friends.
“All I knew about her husband was that he was a foreigner. We never dealt with him in any way.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 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: “I can confirm that a Czech citizen died a violent death in Türkiye.
“Our embassy in Ankara is in contact with her family and is providing consular assistance. With regard to the survivors, we will not provide any further information.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.