Murder accused 'was not the man seen in CCTV'

Rhiannon Whyte died after being stabbed 23 times in October 2024

An asylum seeker accused of killing a hotel worker by stabbing her on a railway station platform was not the person featured in CCTV footage shown to the court, his defence lawyer has said.

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

Wolverhampton Crown Court has heard allegations he stabbed her 23 times with a screwdriver, 11 times in the head.

After jurors saw a series of CCTV clips allegedly showing Mr Majek following Ms Whyte and disposing of her phone, defence counsel Gurdeep Garcha KC said the identity of the figure seen was "very much in dispute".

Mr Garcha was cross-examining Det Sgt Rebecca Haywood, who gave evidence earlier in the trial.

On Friday, the police sergeant presented CCTV footage from the hotel and other cameras covering a car park, a bridge and a footbridge at the station.

Jurors were told it showed Mr Majek following Ms Whyte across the car park and over the footbridge, and throwing a phone off a bridge.

Mr Garcha said the quality of CCTV could vary and there was no footage of the actual attack on Ms Whyte.

He told the court there were 20 cameras at the railway station, but only four were recording.

The jury was shown a series of CCTV clips last week

Mr Garcha asked the police officer: "You're aware that the identity of the figure who's been tracked from the hotel car park to Bescot Stadium station is very much in dispute?"

Det Sgt Haywood replied: "Correct."

Mr Garcha said: "The defendant denies he's that figure, and the figure who can be seen throwing Ms Whyte's telephone into the river.

"The defendant set his stall out quite positively - it's not me."

CCTV footage included a person throwing a phone off a bridge, jurors heard

The barrister also told Det Sgt Haywood that there was no footage of the actual assault, as well as no footage of any interaction between Ms Whyte and her assailant and no footage that showed a weapon in the hand of the assailant.

Det Sgt Haywood replied: "Correct."

Mr Majek, who claims to be 19 and also denies possessing an offensive weapon, had been living at Park Inn hotel, which houses asylum seekers.

Ms Whyte had worked there for about three months.

'DNA under fingernails'

Earlier, a forensic scientist said Ms Whyte's blood had been found on clothes, shoes and rings worn by Mr Majek.

Giving evidence, Elizabeth Simpson said blood found on the defendant was a billion times more likely to come from Ms Whyte than anyone else.

She also said the 27-year-old's DNA was found under the defendant's fingernails.

Ms Simpson told the jury the only explanation for the presence of blood was that the defendant had assaulted Ms Whyte.

Jurors heard there were 20 cameras at the station but only four were recording

Called as a witness by prosecuting barrister Michelle Heeley KC, Ms Simpson told the court DNA recovered from swabs of Mr Majek's fingernails appeared to be a match for Ms Whyte.

Swabs were also taken from her fingernails and traces of his DNA were found, jurors heard.

Ms Whyte's blood was also found on five of the 19 rings recovered from Mr Majek, the court was told.

Ms Simpson said the conclusion she drew from the blood on his possessions was he "assaulted Rhiannon Whyte when she was injured and bleeding", and could find no other explanation for it.

'No blood on jacket'

Mr Garcha also cross-examined Ms Simpson and said: "I'm going to put it to you that in fact you didn't find any such blood on the jacket, and the evidence that you've given in relation to the findings is untrue."

Ms Simpson replied that the scientific findings were that blood was found and was a DNA match for Ms Whyte.

But Mr Garcha countered: "I explicitly put to you that the evidence is untrue."

She replied: "I would disagree."

The trial continues.