An asylum seeker accused of murdering a hotel worker in Walsall was seen dancing and laughing shortly after the attack, a court has heard. Deng Chol Majek, who claims to be 19, allegedly stabbed Rhiannon Skye Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver at Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October last year.
Whyte, 27, had just finished her shift at the Park Inn hotel, where Majek was living, when she was followed to the station. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Majek was 'clearly excited about what he had done' after the attack, with CCTV footage showing him behaving casually as he returned to the hotel.
The court heard that Whyte's DNA was found under Majek's fingernails, indicating she had tried to defend herself. Blood matching Whyte's was also discovered on Majek's jacket, ring and sandals. Eleven of the stab wounds penetrated her skull, with one damaging the brain stem, causing her death.
Heeley said there was no clear motive for the attack, though Majek had been seen staring at Whyte and a colleague earlier that evening. Majek denies murder and possessing an offensive weapon. The trial continues.
