Asylum seeker accused of killing hotel worker danced on video after attack, court hears

An asylum seeker accused of killing a Walsall hotel worker by stabbing her 23 times with a screwdriver on a railway station platform was seen on video dancing after she died, jurors have heard.

Deng Majek, from Sudan, denies murdering 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte, who died three days after being attacked at Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October 2024.

On Friday, jurors were shown mobile phone footage said to show Mr Majek dancing near the hotel with an ambulance in the background.

Wolverhampton Crown Court has heard Ms Whyte was stabbed 19 times in the head, with 11 injuries to her skull and one wound so deep it pierced her brain stem.

The nine-second video seen by jurors was said to show Mr Majek dancing less than 90 minutes after the attack, in a mobile phone video from someone at the Park Inn Hotel.

The footage filmed in the early hours of 21 October showed blue lights in the background.

Det Sgt Rebecca Haywood, presenting CCTV to jurors, confirmed the blue lights were from the emergency teams at the railway station.

Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC asked where the speaker came from that people were dancing to.

Det Sgt Haywood said: "The defendant brought that to the location."

Rhiannon Whyte was stabbed 11 times in the head with a crosshead screwdriver, jurors have heard

On Thursday, jurors were told Mr Majek sat smoking and drinking with friends in a car park after Ms Whyte died.

Mr Majek, who claims to be 19, had been living at the hotel, which houses asylum seekers.

He also denies possessing an offensive weapon.

Police were at the station following the incident

Prosecutors have claimed Mr Majek followed Ms Whyte from the hotel to the railway station and attacked her before he threw her mobile phone into a river after the attack shortly after 23:15 BST, and then went shopping for alcohol.

The jury saw CCTV from inside and outside the hotel, as well as footage from cameras covering a car park, a bridge of the River Tame, and a footbridge at the station.

Security cameras covering the platforms at the station were not working, the court heard.

The court heard Mr Majek went to a shop later that night

Video shown to the court included images of a man said to be Mr Majek in a shop in the Caldmore area of Walsall, buying alcohol at a store in West Bromwich Street, and walking along other roads, including Broadway West and Alexandra Road.

The court heard Mr Majek bought three cans of extra-strong Belgian beer.

Material also included images of a man said to be Mr Majek returning to the hotel at 00:13 and going into a room on the third floor wearing flip-flops and leaving it wearing white trainers.

Det Sgt Haywood claimed other footage of the suspect showed Ms Whyte's phone being thrown off a bridge at 23:19.

She described clothes worn by the suspect at the time as "a two-tone grey jacket, dark on the body and light on the arms, black cargo trousers and flip-flops".

Jurors saw footage said to show Mr Majek following Ms Whyte across the station car park and over the footbridge.

Mr Majek entered Platform 2 at 23:17, the court heard, and emerged two minutes later, on the bridge at 23:19.

Prosecution KC Michelle Heeley KC said the attack took place in that two-minute period.

A train driver found Ms Whyte slumped inside the platform shelter at 23:22 after he pulled in to the station.

The trial continues.