Mobile phone footage shown at a murder trial appears to show an asylum seeker dancing in a car park just minutes after allegedly stabbing a hotel worker.
The clips, filmed in the early hours of October 21 last year, purportedly show Deng Chol Majek dancing as police and ambulances attended the scene at Bescot Stadium station in Walsall.
Wolverhampton Crown Court viewed the footage on Friday as part of the evidence against Majek, who denies the charges.
Prosecutors say he pursued 27-year-old Rhiannon Skye Whyte from the Park Inn hotel, where she worked before attacking her on a deserted railway platform.
CCTV Footage saw Majek dance and celebrate in the car park
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Ms Whyte, who cleaned rooms and served meals at the hotel, suffered a catastrophic brain injury from the assault, which occurred shortly after 11.15pm on October 20. She died three days later.
The prosecution alleges Majek stabbed her 19 times with a screwdriver, in what has been described as a brutal attack.
After the assault, prosecutors claim he disposed of Ms Whyte’s mobile by throwing it into the River Tame from a nearby bridge.
Detective Sergeant Rebecca Haywood presented extensive surveillance material to jurors, detailing the defendant’s alleged movements throughout the night.
CCTV footage included cameras at the hotel, a nearby car park, a bridge over the River Tame, and a pedestrian walkway to the railway platforms.
Video evidence also appeared to capture Ms Whyte carrying her mobile as she made her way towards the station.
He went on to purchase alcohol from a store on West Bromwich Street
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The detective told jurors that at 11.19pm, Majek was seen on film turning on the bridge before throwing the phone into the river.
Additional footage appeared to track him visiting multiple locations across Walsall after the alleged attack, including a shop in Caldmore and a purchase of alcohol on West Bromwich Street.
CCTV appeared to show him walking across Broadway West and Alexandra Road in the early hours.
He was described as wearing a two-tone grey jacket, black cargo trousers and flip-flops during these movements.
Security cameras recorded him re-entering the hotel at 12.13am, going to a third-floor room in flip-flops, then emerging in white trainers.
Majek, from Sudan, claims he is 19 and faces murder charges at Wolverhampton Crown Court for the killing in October 2023.
The prosecution’s case relies heavily on surveillance footage, though crucial cameras at Bescot Stadium station were not working on the night.
The mobile phone recordings allegedly showing Majek dancing were captured as emergency responders attended to Ms Whyte at the station.
The trial continues as prosecutors present further evidence of his movements before and after the alleged stabbing, including his return to the hotel connected to both him and the victim.
