An asylum seeker has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years for the murder of a woman who worked at the hotel where he was staying.
Deng Majek was convicted of killing 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte after following her to Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall in October 2024. Ms Whyte had just finished her shift at the Park Inn Hotel and was on her way home when she was attacked on the station platform. She later died in hospital from her injuries.
Majek, a Sudanese national, had arrived in the UK by small boat about three months earlier and was living at the hotel while seeking asylum. The court heard there was no clear motive for the attack.
At Coventry Crown Court, Mr Justice Soole described Majek’s actions as brutal and sustained, adding that Ms Whyte showed great courage as she tried to defend herself. After the attack, Majek was seen on CCTV behaving calmly and later disposing of Ms Whyte’s phone.
During sentencing, Ms Whyte’s mother, Siobhan, told the court her family had effectively received a “life sentence” of grief. Her sister also spoke of the impact on Ms Whyte’s young son, whom she is now raising.
Majek had claimed to be 19, but an age assessment found he was likely in his mid to late twenties. The jury rejected his denial of involvement after forensic evidence linked him to the crime.
The judge said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence and the lasting harm caused to the victim’s family.
For more details, visit New DailyPrime
