The heir to a £230m fortune who killed his best friend on Christmas Eve after he told him he wanted to move out and live with his girlfriend, has been jailed for life.
Lonely Dylan Thomas stabbed loyal housemate William Bush to death, with screams being heard from the home they share in the early hours of December 24, 2023. William, a 23-year-old talented golfer was found dead with 37 stab wounds in the attack, including 16 to the neck, while Thomas had cuts to the palms of his hands, which he told police he received while trying to defend himself.
Thomas, 24, went on trial at Cardiff Crown Court, having denied murder, where he was supported by Sir Stanley Thomas, whose net worth was estimated to be £230m in 2013. Today, he was told he would be sent to prison for life and must serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars.
Prosecutor Greg Bull said: “He entered through the kitchen where he armed himself with a large kitchen knife and a black lock knife or flick knife. He then proceeded to go up the two staircases and into the room of William Bush. Mr Bush was attacked from behind, probably with the flick knife, as Mr Bush was sat or stood near to a beanbag.
"He was stabbed at least once to the back of the neck. The attack caused Mr Bush to flee for his life down to the ground floor. There was to follow repeated stabs at Mr Bush from Thomas to the back of the neck, his head, the front of the neck, and his chest. Further it is clear that Dylan Thomas used the kitchen knife to stab Mr Bush in the chest and cut his throat severing the major artery in the neck, as a result of which Mr Bush bled to death.”
The court that around 12.36am before the killing, Thomas carried out a search on his computer for an image on the anatomy of the neck. Mr Bull KC added: “The prosecution submit that this was a factor indicating that at this stage Dylan Thomas intended to attack and kill William Bush. We will never know the real reason for his intention or the real reason for carrying out the computer search that he did.
“Mr Bush was trying to escape from Mr Thomas who pursued him out of his bedroom, down two flights of stairs, through the kitchen, and outside into the patio where Mr Bush collapsed after he sustained a fatal laceration to an artery in his neck.”
The court heard Thomas’ attitude towards William had changed due to his romance with girlfriend Ella. Mr Bull said: “In October to November 2023 Mr Bush told Ella that there had been an occasion when Mr Thomas said to Mr Bush: ‘I thought and/or wondered about killing you’. These remarks were taken seriously by Mr Bush who told Ella that that night he had barricaded his bedroom door to prevent Mr Thomas entering the bedroom whilst he was asleep.”
Mr Bull said their friendship changed after William met girlfriend Ella Jeffries - and planned to move in with her instead. He said: “Before Mr Bush met Ella Jeffries the two men spent a great deal of time together. They would play golf together, they would go out together in the evening, and Mr Bush would support Mr Thomas in every way that he could. He would regularly drive Mr Thomas to any place that he wished to go as Mr Thomas could not drive.
“In short, Mr Thomas relied heavily on his friendship and the time spent with Mr Bush. The dynamics of the relationship between the two men were changing in the period leading up to Christmas 2023. Firstly Mr Bush was spending more and more of his time with Ella, with whom his relationship was blossoming. Mr Bush and Ella had decided to seek a home of their own together in the New Year.”
The pair met as schoolboys at £13,000-a-term Christ College, Brecon, where they were both students. On leaving school, William went on to university. Thomas was offered a place but did not take this up.
Mr Bull said: “Mr Bush was a loving son, brother, partner, and friend. He was well-loved by all who knew him. He was by nature a quiet and passive man who shied away from confrontation. He was fit and muscular and at the time of his death was 14st and five foot eight inches. He was athletic, a keen golfer, and on occasion played golf for his county.
“He worked as a surveyor in this city but left his job due to stress and ill health but was looking forward to the new year. He had found a new job and was looking to set up home with his partner Ella Jeffries.”
Mr Bull said: “[Thomas'] grandmother described him as a quiet person. His only real friend was the deceased. They would holiday together with Dylan and his family. Dylan and the deceased were not only housemates but good friends. The defendant relied heavily on Mr Bush for support. Mr Thomas was of solid build compared to Mr Bush and by far the stronger of the two men.”
A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Richard Jones at the University Hospital of Wales recorded cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the neck and trunk.
William's family, English teacher father John, 61, mother Elizabeth, 63, sister Catrin and brother Alexander , paid tribute to the keen rugby player and golfer. The family, who live in Brecon, South Wales, said: “Our beloved Will was taken away from us in such a cruel and indescribable way. Will was such a loyal, funny and caring son, brother and boyfriend.”
Thomas, a computer programmer, is the grandson of Sir Stanley Thomas, 82, who was knighted in 2006 for his charity work and services to business. His father, also called Stanley Thomas, started selling meat pies in Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh Valleys. The business, Peter’s Savoury Products, was sold for £75million in 1988.
As her brother's killer was sentenced Catrin Bush said she wanted to give her brother a voice in her victim impact statement. She said: “Will was such a loyal, funny and caring person and he lit up every room he walked into with his cheeky grin and quick witted humour.
“You have shown no remorse or respect during this entire process. I don’t know how someone could be so cruel, manipulative, heartless and evil. You inflicted so much suffering on our innocent little brother, Will, and you have taken Will’s bright future away from him. I hope you’ll never be released back into the community and you live out the rest of your years in prison.”
Miss Bush said her family had found the legal process “incredibly distressing”. She said: “I sat through as much of the trial as I could bear, as you can imagine, some of the evidence was just too heartbreaking for me to sit through. I can only describe the process as absolutely horrendous. It has taken and continues to take a significant toll on myself and my family, and I would not wish this upon anyone.”
William Bush’s father, John, told Cardiff Crown Court the lives of his family changed overnight when his son died and the effects would stay with them forever. He said in a victim impact statement: “All our lives changed forever and in such a profound and fundamental way. This has had and will continue to have effects for as long as each of us shall live. Christmas will not be a time of celebration for our family.
“This is not normal grief, where death is part of human existence and loss can be accepted and memories of loved ones celebrated. We are not there yet, and there is not yet any closure for us. We carry on with our own lives, but we know we are always pretending. We have also had to watch the pain of the loss for Will’s brother Alex and sister Catrin, and their partners, Ed and Olivia, and Will’s girlfriend Ella.
“We will share their future happiness, but we will always be tinged with sadness and loss. We continue with our lives because we must, but time cannot fully heal the loss of Will’s. Imagine all the things that you would have missed if you had died at 23 – marriage, children, family, the daily joys of the life. His life mattered. God bless you, Will.”
Orlando Pownall KC, defending Thomas, offered no personal mitigation on behalf of the defendant during the sentencing hearing. Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Steyn described the knife attack upon Mr Bush as “sustained and ferocious”. “Will was a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him,” the judge said. “He did well at school and at university. He was a passionate sportsman and gifted golfer who played for the country.
“He and Ella were planning for a future together. You took a son away from his mother and father, you bereaved the woman he loved with whom he was planning his future. You deprived his sister and brother of their young brother.”
Comments
Post a Comment