A Sudanese asylum seeker, Deng Chol Majek, reportedly followed a British woman before fatally stabbing her on a deserted train platform, a court has heard.
Chilling Details of the Attack at Bescott Station
Majek, who claims to be 19, allegedly launched a brutal assault on 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte as she commuted home from the migrant hotel where she worked in Walsall. The attack happened on October 20 last year.
He is accused of stalking Ms Whyte to the empty platform at Bescott station, where he stabbed her 23 times with a screwdriver while she waited for a late train. She was on the phone to a friend when two screams were heard, followed by silence.
Ms Whyte was found slumped on the platform by a train driver 11 minutes later. Despite efforts to save her, she died surrounded by family three days after the attack.
Court Reveals ‘Frenzied Attack’ and Callous Aftermath
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told Wolverhampton Crown Court: “He left her bleeding to death and then casually went back to his hotel.”
CCTV footage showed Majek fleeing the scene, holding a lit-up object believed to be Ms Whyte’s phone. He didn’t return straight to the hotel but stopped at a local shop for a drink, arriving at the hotel well after midnight.
Police recovered Ms Whyte’s phone from a river, where Majek is alleged to have thrown it during his escape. Upon returning, he was seen dancing and laughing, apparently celebrating what he’d done. He was carrying a black plastic bag said to contain alcohol.
Majek Denies Murder but Faces Serious Charges
Majek denies murdering Ms Whyte and a separate charge of possessing a screwdriver in a public place.
Ms Whyte had worked at the Park Inn Hotel for about three months, helping with cleaning and serving food. Majek was a resident at the hotel, converted to house asylum seekers. There are doubts about his claimed age of 18 at the time.
The trial is ongoing.