Asylum seeker ‘stalked woman from her hotel then stabbed her 23 times’
A man seeking asylum in England was seen dancing and laughing at a train station after stabbing a hotel worker more than 20 times before leaving him for dead, a court heard.
Sudanese asylum seeker Deng Chol Majek, who said he was 19, was caught on CCTV following Rhiannon Skye Whyte from the town’s Park Inn hotel to Walsall’s Bescot Stadium station.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Majek, who is on trial for murder, was “clearly excited by what he had done” after inflicting a total of 23 stab wounds on Whyte, mainly to his head, on the station platform. He died three days after the attack.
Ms Whyte, whose shift ended at 11pm, was heard screaming during a phone call with a friend and was found minutes later by a train attendant on the platform, according to prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC.
Opening the Crown’s case against Majek, Ms Heeley told the court she had followed the 27-year-old from the hotel where he was living.
Miss Heeley said: “He followed her to the train platform at Bescot Stadium station and then attacked her, stabbing her multiple times with a screwdriver.
“He left her until she bled to death and then casually walked back to her hotel. We say you can be sure he’s guilty of murder.”
Ms Whyte had worked at the hotel for three months, helping with tasks such as cleaning and catering, while the defendant stayed in room 309.
The prosecutor said one of Ms Whyte’s colleagues noticed the defendant staring at her and the woman he worked with.
“No one could remember any issues that might have caused him to act this way. “There had been an issue with some residents about biscuits breaking but it was nothing serious.
Ms Heeley added: “What is clear on the CCTV is that the defendant was wandering around the reception area throughout the evening staring at Rhiannon. He wore a distinctive jacket and sandals and then waited in the reception area where Rhiannon was.” “CCTV follows the defendant all the way. It followed him from the hotel to the station.
“He was waiting for her to leave and waited for her to be on her own before following him.”
Ms Whyte’s friend, who heard the screams, called the police, who contacted the hotel, who sent one of their staff to the station. The train Rhiannon was to catch pulled up at 11.24pm and the driver saw a figure slumped on the platform.
Ms Heeley continued: “The defendant did not return directly to the hotel, he went to a local shop and bought himself a drink first, returning to the hotel at 13 minutes after midnight.” “Between the station and the hotel, he threw Rhiannon’s phone into the river. When he arrived at the hotel, he was seen dancing and laughing, clearly excited by what he had done.”
As well as CCTV footage, Ms Whyte’s DNA was also found under the defendant’s fingernails. The prosecutor said, “There is his blood on his clothes and his DNA under his nails. He was injured where he tried to defend himself.”
Majek denies murder and possession of a screwdriver as an offensive weapon. The trial continues.
