A Sudanese asylum seeker, Deng Chol Majek, has been sentenced to a life term with a minimum of 29 years in jail for the “sadistic” murder of Rhiannon Whyte, a 27-year-old woman working at the hotel where he resided. The brutal attack occurred in October 2024 at Bescot Stadium station in Walsall, less than three months after Majek is believed to have entered the UK by small boat. Ms. Whyte, a mother to a five-year-old son, was fatally stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver, sustaining 19 wounds to her head which caused a brain stem injury.

Wolverhampton crown court heard that Majek followed Ms. Whyte to the station after she completed her shift at the Park Inn, where he had been housed. She was found injured in a shelter on the platform by a train driver and guard approximately five minutes after the assault. Ms. Whyte tragically died in hospital three days later. During the trial, CCTV footage revealed Majek disappearing from view on a deserted platform for 90 seconds after 11 pm to carry out the attack.

Jurors unanimously convicted Majek of murder and for possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon. Passing the life sentence, Mr Justice Soole condemned the attack as one of “vicious brutality” and asserted that the “intent was to kill.” The judge further noted Majek’s continued denial of being the assailant, leaving the court without an explanation for the murder of a hotel staff member who, along with her colleagues, had been assisting him. The overwhelming evidence against Majek, including CCTV and DNA, was highlighted by the court.

Details from the trial also revealed Majek had been reported to hotel security prior to the murder for