Rhiannon Skye Whyte’s family say Deng Chol Majek ‘celebrated’ after the killing and ‘might as well have danced on her grave’
Daily Telegraph 30/01/26
An asylum seeker who murdered a migrant hotel worker with a screwdriver is “demonic and inhuman”, a court has heard.
Rhiannon Skye Whyte, 27, was killed by Deng Chol Majek on Oct 20 2024 in a “vicious and frenzied” attack at a deserted train platform in Walsall, West Midlands.
Ms Whyte had been working at the Park Inn hotel, where Majek was being housed, when he followed her to the station after she finished her shift and stabbed her 23 times with a screwdriver.
On Friday, at Coventry Crown Court, Majek was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 29 years.
Mr Justice Soole previously adjourned sentencing Majek in October amid doubts about the Sudanese migrant’s claim that he was 19 years old.
The killer, who is believed to have entered Britain by small boat less than three months before the murder, is known to have given authorities in Germany a date of birth that would mean he is now 28.
Mr Justice Soole said Deng Chol Majek maintained he was aged 18 when he entered the UK in July 2024 but age assessments had concluded he was actually aged between 25 and 28.
No motive for the killing was given at the trial, but Majek had been seen staring “spookily” at three female staff members, including Ms Whyte for prolonged periods on the night of the killing.
CCTV from the reception area of Walsall's Park Inn hotel showed Deng Chol Majek staring at Rhiannon Whyte (left) and a female colleague less than an hour before Ms Whyte was stabbed
CCTV from the reception area of Walsall’s Park Inn hotel showed Deng Chol Majek staring at Rhiannon Whyte (left) and a female colleague less than an hour before Ms Whyte was stabbed Credit: British Transport Police
Before he was jailed, Ms Whyte’s sister, Alex Whyte, described Majek as “more like an animal”.
In a victim impact statement, she described her sister as “smart, funny, thoughtful, caring and hard-working”, and said she had been left to raise Ms Whyte’s now six-year-old son.
Mr Whyte also accused Majek of “taking advantage of our judicial system” by refusing to admit his guilt despite overwhelming evidence.
“I honestly feel that calling you demonic and inhuman is justifiable in the circumstances,” she said.
“You brutalised Rhiannon and then partied as if nothing had happened. You celebrated. You might as well have danced on her grave.”
CCTV showed Majek sitting across from his victim
CCTV showed Majek sitting across from his victim
Ms Whyte’s mother Donna Whyte also gave a statement in court, telling Majek “let me see you dancing now”.
She said: “Her name will not be forgotten, she will not be a distant memory. We will keep her alive in our memory. You, however, are an evil nightmare that will be put aside, known only for your cruel and malicious act.
“By the grace of God, I hope you never see the outside world again.”
Majek, who at 6ft 3in was about 10in taller than Ms Whyte, followed her to the railway station after her shift at the hotel finished before attacking her when she was alone.
She died in hospital three days later, after being found injured in a shelter on the platform by the driver and guard of a train which pulled in about five minutes later.
The court heard that after killing Ms Whyte, Majek went to a shop to buy beer, and was later filmed dancing and smoking outside the hotel.
The court was told that Ms Whyte had numerous defensive injuries, indicating she had fought hard against her attacker before he inflicted the fatal blow to the back of her skull.
“We now know from the evidence we had to listen to that she was brave,” Mr Whyte continued.
“She fought for her life under a brutal, savage and frenzied attack from someone we see as inhuman, more like an animal.
“Rhiannon showed so much more courage than you. You continue to show no remorse and to take no responsibility for your cowardly actions.
“We still don’t know or understand why you stalked, hunted and preyed upon Rhiannon.
“Cornering her before unleashing your vicious and unprovoked attack. For what purpose?”
Sentencing Majek, Mr Justice Soole told him he had brought “devastation” to Ms Whyte’s family.
He criticised the killer for showing “no empathy for the victim”, adding: “I am sure that your intent was to kill.
“In my judgment, your age and level of maturity provide no mitigation.
“The evidence shows a level of maturity which is consistent with your true age, and indeed, a chilling composure in every aspect of your behaviour.”
“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,” she said.
“Although nothing can bring Rhiannon back, I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice to her family and friends.”
After the attack, a former colleague of Ms Whyte told The Telegraph that the asylum seeker hotel was a “ticking time bomb”.
Chris Durham, 46, who worked as a housing officer for Serco, which ran the Park Inn hotel, said that on numerous occasions police were called after migrants harassed women and followed them home.
Mr Durham, who left Serco shortly before the murder, said West Midlands Police were called to deal with incidents at the hotel on a regular basis.
He said: “Some of [the migrants] made threats to kill, to blow up the hotel, that they had a bomb in their bag. A few of them followed hotel staff on the bus journeys home.”
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