How killer's stare scared victim and colleagues

It was about 11pm on 20 October 2024 when Rhiannon Skye Whyte, a 27-year-old from Walsall, finished her late shift at the Park Inn hotel in Wolverhampton and made her way to the nearby railway station.

- Neha Gohil

Whyte, who cleaned and served food at the hotel housing asylum seekers, had been working there for about three months.

Unknown to Whyte, her steps were being tracked by Deng Chol Majek, a Sudanese national who had claimed asylum in the UK and was staying at the hotel.

It was at Bescot Stadium railway station that Majek carried out what the prosecution described as a "vicious and frenzied" attack, stabbing Whyte 23 times with a screwdriver. She died of her injuries in hospital three days later, having suffered a fatal brain injury.

The prosecution said the motivation for the attack was "not initially clear" although Majek's behaviour on the day of the murder had unsettled staff at the hotel.

Members of staff said Majek had been staring at Whyte and colleagues, making them feel uncomfortable.