Deng Majek is found guilty of murdering Rhiannon Whyte after two hours of jury deliberation
Ms Whyte was stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver on a platform at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall on 20 October 2024 and died three days later in hospital
Majek was caught on CCTV dancing after the attack
Ms Whyte's family say there is no end to their pain or suffering, caused by a "sick, twisted and cowardly human"
Majek, who is a Sudanese national, had come to the UK via Libya, Italy and Germany
He had been staying in the Park Inn Hotel with other asylum seekers, where Ms Whyte worked
Police video shows his arrest there hours after the attack
The killer will be sentenced in December, after medical tests to determine his age
Watch the moment police swooped on Majek, hours after he attacked Rhiannon Whyte
That's all from our live reporting from Wolverhampton Crown Court as Deng Majek was found guilty of murdering Rhiannon Whyte.
He is due to be sentenced on 15 December and in the meantime there will be tests to try and determine his age as that could affect the sentence.
In the meantime, you can read our full coverage of today's verdict here, while Alexandra Whyte talks about her sister's positivity here.
Image source, BTPHere is a statement from Carla Harris, senior crown prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service:
"Rhiannon Whyte 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 callously left her bleeding on a station platform. He then appeared to rejoice in his actions, having been caught laughing and dancing on footage an hour later.
"Although the stabbing itself was not captured on CCTV, the prosecution case against Chol Majek included DNA evidence, witness testimony and CCTV showing him stalking Rhiannon to the station and returning to the hotel in his distinctive bloodied clothing. He was also the only person to enter and leave the platform during the time of the attack. All of this allowed the jury to convict him of his crimes.
"Although nothing can bring Rhiannon back, I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice to her family and friends. The CPS is determined to bring violent offenders to justice wherever there is the evidence to do so."
Chloe Hughes
West Midlands
Image source, Elizabeth Cook / PAIt is unclear how much English Majek can truly speak.
Throughout the trial, he answered questions via an Arabic interpreter.
While under cross-examination by defence counsel Gurdeep Garcha, hotel housing worker Tyler English said Majek could hold "fluent" conversations in English.
However, later in the trial, when Majek himself was under cross-examination by the prosecution, Michelle Heeley KC asked him how good his English was.
Responding through his interpreter, he said: "I don't speak any English."
Image source, BTPForensic scientist Elizabeth Simpson said Rhiannon's blood had been found on clothes, shoes and a ring worn by Majek.
Ms Simpson told the court that the blood was a billion times more likely to come from Ms Whyte than anyone else.
During cross-examination, Michelle Heeley KC asked Majek: "Ms Simpson is not lying about the forensics, is she?"
Mr Majek replied: "She’s wrong."
"Why is an independent forensic scientist wrong?," Ms Heeley asked him.
"I don’t know why, because I’m sure my stuff had no blood on it," he replied.
Later in the trial he was asked why Rhiannon's DNA had been found under his right fingernail.
He replied: "I never touched her, and there is no DNA."
The jury ultimately did not believe his evidence, but that of Ms Simpson.
The police statement from Det Ch Insp Attwell (pictured) continues:
"It is unfathomable to me that at no point has Majek ever shown any remorse for taking Rhiannon’s life in such a violent and cold-blooded way.
"In fact, he has appeared completely unbothered - bored even - throughout this trial, much to the distress of Rhiannon’s poor family who have had to face her killer every day at court.
"I would like to pay tribute to Rhiannon’s family for the unbelievable strength and dignity they have shown in the most horrific of circumstances – and for their unwavering support given during this investigation and the court proceedings which followed.
"I have no doubt that Rhiannon would be very proud of them all.
"It is abundantly clear to me just how much Rhiannon was loved by her family and friends and today, we should remember her name, and her life, rather than that that of her killer."
Image source, BTPWe have a statement from Det Ch Insp Paul Attwell, from British Transport Police, which led the investigation as Rhiannon Whyte (pictured) was attacked at the railway station.
"First and foremost, my thoughts are with Rhiannon’s family and friends, who despite today’s guilty verdict, have already been handed a lifetime’s sentence following her murder," he said.
"We will never know the motive, if indeed there was one, for Majek’s decision to launch his savage attack that night on an innocent young woman he knew only by sight.
"It was a brutal, cowardly and unprovoked attack on a vibrant and selfless young woman, who had her whole life ahead of her."
Rhiannon's family were quick to urge people not to judge all asylum seekers on the actions of Deng Majek.
In their statement, they said: "Many have tried to imply this is about immigration, but these are the choices of one man, not an ethnic group."
James Bovill
at Wolverhampton Crown Court
Rhiannon's family are seen hugging after reading out an emotional statement outside Wolverhampton Crown Court.
They described Rhiannon as having a "beautiful and bright future".
"She was smart, kind, funny, thoughtful, caring, hardworking and most importantly she belonged to us," they said.
"She was a piece of all of us."
Image source, BTPOther footage shown to the court captured Majek in a grey top buying beer from a shop.
He denied that it was him, and said that he had gone to a different shop to buy beer, earlier in the evening before it got dark.
When asked where that shop was, Majek could not give directions, and said he could not remember what time he went.
Prosecuting, Michelle Heeley KC said although some of the CCTV cameras did not provide the clearest picture, parts of the footage were "in perfect technicolour" and could not be clearer.
CCTV footage shows Mr Majek following Rhiannon Whyte
Throughout the two-week trial, the prosecution showed numerous pieces of CCTV footage.
Majek repeatedly insisted he was not the figure in the CCTV footage, despite the man wearing an identical hooded jacket to his, with a distinctive dark square patch on the left arm.
He maintained "anyone could buy one" and the man was not him.
When interviewed by police, Majek remained silent for the whole interview, which lasted more than 90 minutes.
During the trial, the court heard that officers arrested him at 05:06 BST on 21 October 2024 and he was initially questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, to which he gave no reply.
Later in the trial, Majek said this was because his solicitor told him he would "go to prison" and should remain silent.
In her closing statements, prosecution barrister Michelle Heeley KC told the jury: "Ladies and gentlemen, you have a stark choice. Do you accept the evidence of an independent forensic scientist, or do you believe the defendant who sat silently in interview, with no answers to police questions?"
Following the verdict, Rhiannon's family have read out their statement outside court. We have already covered part of it, but they revealed the true cost of Rhiannon's death on the family:
"Rhiannon's life was not the only one taken on that day - Majek stole a crucial piece from all of us. He stole our lives as we knew them. None of us will ever be the same. He took so many opportunities from Rhiannon, she will never watch her son grow up, we will never watch her marry, build a family, buy her first house or learn to drive.
"He stole our best friend. There is no end to the pain and suffering he's inflicted on my family and her friends.
"Rhiannon died surrounded by family and friends, we held her in our arms for three days until she succumbed to the injuries he inflicted on her. We prayed and begged for her to live, but our hope is that Deng Chol Majek will spend his life alone and unloved.
"We now have to grieve her for longer than we got to love her, which will never make any sense to us. He may have taken her voice, her future and her life, but he will never silence us and Rhiannon will live on in all of us.
"Getting justice for Rhiannon is not the ending of her story, we will continue to advocate to evoke change in her name. Many have tried to imply this is about immigration, but these are the choices of one man, not an ethnic group.
"I would like to quote Rhiannon’s favourite Disney character stitch: 'O’hana, O’hana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten'.
"Rhiannon will never be forgotten."
Ms Whyte was stabbed 23 times, 11 times in the head, with one wound so deep it pierced her brain stem.
She died thee days later in hospital, having never regained consciousness.
Consultant pathologist Brett Lockyer told the jury the wounds were consistent with a crosshead screwdriver.
The murder weapon, however, has never been found.
James Bovill
at Wolverhampton Crown Court
The judge has addressed Rhiannon's family in court.
He said: "No one sitting in this court can fail to be struck by the quiet dignity that you have all shown through these most demanding 10 days in this court.
"It is unimaginable and I thank you and admire you for it.
"I also want to express in ways which is difficult to do so, my intense sympathy for the terrible loss that you have suffered."
Siobhan Whyte, Rhiannon's mother, was moved to tears by this.
In her statement, Alexandra Whyte (pictured) said she was raising her sister's son, adding she could not "express the unimaginable pain of having to sit down and explain to a five-year-old child that one of the people he loves more than anything will never be coming home".
She added: "The screams of pain from this beautiful little boy will haunt me for the rest of my life, but we will never let Majek haunt him. This child should never have had to experience the pain and misery that he has caused.
"Deng Chol Majek stalked, hunted and then preyed on our defenceless Rhiannon, before cornering her and unleashing a vicious attack - and for what purpose? She was at work, helping people as she always did, and he chose her for no purpose other than cold-blooded self gratification."
Tim Page
West Midlands
Sentencing guidelines, external are different for children under 18, but the guidance to judges reads "many of the principles will also be relevant to sentencing young adults (aged 18-25)".
So whether Majek is 18 or "in his mid-20s" could have an impact on the length of his detention.
James Bovill
at Wolverhampton Crown Court
Majek is due to be sentenced on Monday 15 December at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The judge, Mr Justice Soole, said he was ordering an age assessment report.
Prosecuting, Michelle Heeley KC, said it would likely be some sort of medical assessment, like a bone x-ray.
James Bovill
at Wolverhampton Crown Court
The jury has been told they are free to leave.
"Your task is now over. You are free to leave," said the judge, Mr Justice Soole.
"Thank you as members of the public, as citizens for the task you have undertaken. It is a very onerous task and not least in a murder trial with all the pressures that involves.
"Thank you on behalf of the public and our system of justice. I hope you have found that it has been a valuable experience."
The prosecution and defence will now go away to discuss how to proceed with determining Majek's age.
A sentence will not be passed until they can determine this.
Chloe Hughes
West Midlands
Deng Majek danced after Rhiannon Whyte's death, jurors told
This is footage of Majek dancing less than 90 minutes after Rhiannon Whyte was attacked.
During the trial, jurors were also shown mobile phone footage said to show Majek dancing near the hotel with an ambulance in the background.
He returned to the hotel at 00:13 BST, changed his bloodstained flip-flops for trainers and this was when he was seen dancing.
A housing officer based at the hotel told jurors Majek "almost seemed sad" before Ms Whyte was stabbed, and appeared to be "back to himself" after she was taken to hospital.
In her closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said of his behaviour: "He is celebrating, his mood has changed from that prolonged scowl in the cafe before the murder to dancing and joy after the murder. It is utterly callous."