Overview

• Deng Chol Majek, 19, is on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court accused of murdering Rhiannon Skye Whyte and of possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon, charges he denies.
• Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told jurors Ms Whyte suffered 23 stab wounds, including injuries that penetrated her skull, with brainstem damage cited as the fatal injury.
• Jurors were told CCTV shows the defendant following Ms Whyte from the Park Inn to Bescot Stadium station, her phone call ending after two screams, and a return from the platform holding a lit object said to be her phone.
• The court heard police later recovered Ms Whyte’s phone from a river and that clothing linked to the defendant carried her blood, with her DNA reported under his fingernails.
• A jury was sworn on Monday after Mr Justice Soole’s directions to keep an open mind, with the court noting an Arabic interpreter for the defendant and the defense position centered on misidentification.