Deng Chol Majek, who denies the charge of murder, gave evidence at Wolverhampton Crown Court, saying he left Sudan aged 16 due to threats from an Army officer and the ongoing conflict in the country.
Prosecutors allege Majek, who was staying at the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, followed Ms Whyte from the hotel to Bescot train station, where he stabbed her 23 times in what they described as a “frenzied” attack.
The defendant insists he was born in 2001 and is 19, though prosecutors have questioned his age, suggesting he could be 27.
Majek, speaking through an interpreter, said he was born in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, and speaks Dinka and Arabic. He said he did not attend school and never learned English.
Explaining why he fled Sudan, Majek said a man in the Army wanted to marry his sister, which his family refused, leading to threats and forcing them to move from South Sudan to North Sudan.
He said he left Sudan altogether in April 2022, shortly after marrying, fearing the Army officer would pursue him.
From there, he travelled through Libya, Italy, and Germany before arriving in the UK, where he claimed asylum in July 2024.
Asked why he sought asylum, Majek replied: “I was threatened in Sudan and it was dangerous for me.”
He told the court that the outbreak of war in 2022 also influenced his decision to flee, adding: “There was a war and I was threatened while I was in Sudan.”
Majek said he has no previous convictions, cautions, or warnings in the UK or abroad.
Jurors heard of an alleged incident in Germany in August 2023, when Majek was accused of kicking a train door while drunk. The case was dropped, and he told the court it was a misunderstanding caused by a mistake in his German identity papers.
Majek, of Bescot Crescent, Walsall, denies murdering Ms Whyte on 23 October 2024 and possessing an offensive weapon ; a screwdriver on 20 October 2024.
The trial continues.
