A Sudanese asylum seeker has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years for the brutal murder of a hotel worker in Walsall.
Deng Chol Majek was convicted of killing 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte after following her from the hotel where she worked to Bescot Stadium railway station in October 2024.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Majek, who had been living at the Park Inn hotel, attacked Whyte with a screwdriver, stabbing her 23 times in a violent and sustained assault.
The court was told that Majek stabbed Whyte 19 times in the head, causing a fatal injury to her brain stem. She was taken to hospital but died three days later from her injuries. At the time of her death, she was the mother of a five-year-old son.
CCTV evidence played during the trial showed Majek disappearing from view on a deserted platform shortly after 11pm, where he carried out the attack. Whyte was later found seriously injured in a platform shelter by railway staff arriving on a train minutes after the assault.
A jury unanimously found Majek guilty of murder and of possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon. The judge described the attack as one of extreme violence and confirmed that the intent was to kill. The court was told that Majek continued to deny responsibility despite what was described as overwhelming CCTV and DNA evidence.
The trial heard that Majek had entered the UK by small boat less than three months before the killing. The court was also told that he had misrepresented his age, claiming to be 19, while official assessments placed him between 25 and 28.
Evidence presented to the jury showed that Majek had previously been reported to hotel security after staring at female staff members for prolonged periods, raising concerns about his behaviour.
After the attack, Majek was captured on CCTV walking through Walsall and buying alcohol, before returning to the hotel. He was later seen changing his footwear and socialising with other residents in the car park, while emergency services were responding at the nearby station.
During sentencing, the court heard powerful statements from Whyte’s family, who described the devastating impact of her death on her young son and extended family. The judge told Majek that his actions had caused profound and lasting harm.
Serco, the company responsible for the hotel accommodation, confirmed that it stopped using the Park Inn to house asylum seekers in the same month that Whyte was killed.
British Transport Police said the murder was a frenzied and unprovoked attack on an innocent woman, adding that Majek had shown no remorse and provided no explanation for his actions.
The case has reignited public debate around asylum accommodation, public safety, and the support and monitoring of vulnerable residents placed in hotels across England.