An asylum seeker was seen dancing and laughing after stabbing a hotel worker 23 times and leaving her for dead, a murder trial jury has heard. Deng Chol Majek was “clearly excited about what he had done” after attacking 27-year-old Rhiannon Skye Whyte with a screwdriver at Bescot Stadium station in Walsall, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Eleven of the 23 stab wounds penetrated Ms Whyte’s skull, one of which damaged the brain stem, causing her death, the court heard. Jurors were told on Tuesday how Majek, who is from Sudan and claims to be 19, was caught on CCTV as he followed Ms Whyte from the Park Inn hotel, where he was living, in Walsall on October 20 last year. The site was at the time being used to house asylum seekers.
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told the court Ms Whyte, whose shift had finished at 11pm, was heard screaming during a phone call to a friend and was found by a train guard on the platform minutes later.
Opening the Crown’s case against Majek, Ms Heely said: “He followed her down on to the train platform at the Bescot Stadium station and then he attacked her. Stabbing her over and over again with a screwdriver.
“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.”
Jurors were told that Ms Whyte had worked at the hotel for about three months, helping with things including cleaning and serving food.
Ms Heeley added: “During the evening one of Rhiannon’s co-workers noticed this defendant. He seemed to be staring at Rhiannon and the women she was working with.
“No one could recall any particular issue that would have caused him to act in that way. There had been an issue about some broken biscuits with some of the residents but nothing serious.”
Ms Heeley continued, saying CCTV footage showed the defendant in the hotel’s reception area and “starting at Rhiannon throughout the evening”.
She told the court Majek had been “hanging around waiting for her to leave and waited until she was on her own before he followed her”.
Ms Whyte called a friend at 11.04pm, the court heard, and she was caught on CCTV at 11.08pm with Majek following two minutes later.
Majek then “closed the gap” to 90 seconds and then 30 seconds as she reached the deserted platform at 11.13pm, the court heard.
Ms Heeley added: “It was then that the prosecution say that this defendant attacked her. Rhiannon had been talking to her friend.
“But it went silent before (the friend) heard a scream, then another scream. The phone went dead at 11.19pm.”
Ms Heeley told the court that shortly after, Majek could be seen running up the stairs from the platform while carrying Ms Whyte’s mobile phone in his hand.
After hearing screams, Ms Whyte’s friend contacted the police, who contacted the hotel and sent one of their employees to the station, the court heard.
The hotel worker and train guard both attempted to help Ms Whyte, said Ms Heeley.
The prosecution said Ms Whyte, who died three days later in hospital, never regained consciousness.
Ms Heeley said the defendant went to a local shop and bought himself a drink before returning to the hotel at 00.13am.
Ms Heeley 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.”
Majek denies murder and possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon. The trial continues.