Deng Chol Majek, originally from Sudan, stabbed 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver in what prosecutors described as a “vicious and frenzied” attack at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall in October last year.
A jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Friday after just over two hours of deliberation, rejecting what prosecutors called Majek’s “laughable” defence in the face of overwhelming CCTV and forensic evidence.
Majek, believed to have entered the UK by small boat less than three months before the killing, showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered.
Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said Majek was “utterly callous”, noting that CCTV captured him drinking and dancing at the hotel shortly after the attack, while the flashing blue lights of emergency services could be seen outside.
The Attack
Whyte, described by her family as a “quirky and caring” young mother who “always put everyone else before herself”, had finished her shift at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel in Walsall shortly before 11pm on 20 October 2023.
She walked to Bescot Stadium station to catch her train home and was speaking to a friend on the phone when she suddenly went silent. Moments later, her friend heard screams before the line disconnected.
When the train arrived minutes later, Whyte was found slumped on the platform with fatal injuries. She was taken to hospital but died three days later, surrounded by her family.
Investigators said Majek followed Whyte from the hotel, attacked her without provocation, stole her phone, and threw it into the River Tame before returning to the hotel to drink and celebrate.
CCTV and Forensic Evidence
CCTV footage tracked Majek from the hotel to the station and back. Whyte’s DNA was found under his fingernails, and her blood was discovered on a jacket he was seen wearing that night.
Despite the evidence, Majek denied the murder and possession of an offensive weapon, claiming the CCTV did not show him and that “anyone could buy” the same jacket.
He also insisted that DNA evidence linking him to the attack was wrong.
Age Dispute and Asylum History
Majek claims to be 19, but immigration officials believe he is 27. The court heard that he had refused bone density scans to confirm his age.
He had previously sought asylum in Italy and Germany, both of which rejected his claims, before arriving in the UK in July 2023 and being placed in the Walsall hotel while his case was reviewed by the Home Office.
Family Reaction and Sentencing
Whyte’s family said the year since her death had been “hell on earth” and described the heartbreak of having to tell her young son that his mother had been killed.
Following the verdict, Carla Harris of the Crown Prosecution Service said:
“Rhiannon should have been able to go to work and come home safely, but Deng Chol Majek robbed her of her life and future. He attacked her for no reason and then appeared to rejoice in his actions.”
Majek will be sentenced after his age has been verified by authorities.
