Asylum seeker ‘murdered hotel worker Rhiannon Whyte in frenzied attack’

An asylum seeker from Sudan danced and laughed after murdering a Walsall hotel worker in a “vicious and frenzied attack” on a train station platform, a trial has heard.

Prosecutors allege Deng Majek, who claims to be 19, stabbed 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver at Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October 2024. She died in hospital three days later.

Opening the case for the prosecution at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Michelle Heeley KC told the jury that the defendant was “clearly excited about what he had done”.

Mr Majek denies murder.

The jury heard Mr Majek was seen on CCTV at the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, laughing shortly after killing Ms Whyte.

The defendant had been living at the hotel, which houses asylum seekers, while Ms Whyte had worked there for about three months.

The court heard her job included cleaning and serving food and co-workers could not recall any issue which might have led to the attack.

“There had been an issue about some broken biscuits with some of the residents but nothing serious,” Ms Heeley said.

In a statement released following her death, Rhiannon Whyte’s family described her as “selfless… brave, quirky, funny” and always there for other people.

The prosecution said CCTV showed the defendant staring at Ms Whyte, before he followed her from the hotel to the railway station when she finished her shift at 23:00 BST.

“He had been hanging around waiting for her to leave and waited until she was on her own before he followed her,” Ms Heeley said.

The court was told Ms Whyte called a friend at 23:04 and he was seen on CCTV cameras closing the gap on her as she approached the deserted platform.

Ms Heeley said: “It was then that the prosecution say that this defendant attacked her.”

Her friend heard a scream and then another scream, before the phone went dead at 23:19.

The prosecution said Mr Majek could then be seen running back up the stairs with an object in his hand, which they said was Ms Whyte’s mobile phone.

Ms Heeley said he then went to a local shop to buy himself a drink before returning to the hotel.

She added: “In between the station and the hotel he had thrown Rhiannon’s phone into a river.

“Once at the hotel he was seen dancing and laughing, clearly excited about what he had done.”

The train she had been due to catch pulled in at 23:24 and the driver saw a figure slumped on the platform, the court was told.

Ms Heeley said the guard tried to help her, along with another employee from the hotel, but nothing could be done to save her and she died on 23 October, having never regained consciousness.

The court was told 11 of the 23 stab wounds penetrated her skull, one of which damaged the brain stem, causing her death.

She also had injuries to her chest and arm, indicating she had tried to defend herself, the court heard.

The puncture wounds had the appearance of a cross-headed screwdriver, which has never been found.

The jury was told the defendant’s jacket, sandals and ring had Rhiannon Whyte’s blood on them, and her DNA was found under Mr Majek’s fingernails.

Ms Heeley said: “He left her bleeding to death and then casually went back to his hotel. We say you can be sure he is guilty of murder.”

The trial is expected to last about three weeks.