Dylan Thomas found guilty of murdering 'best friend' on Christmas Eve in Cardiff

A man has been found guilty of murdering his "best friend" on Christmas Eve.

A jury of 10 men and two women heard Dylan Thomas, 24, killed William Bush, 23, in a "frenzied attack" in the Llandaff area of Cardiff last year.

Thomas had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denied Mr Bush's murder.

A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard Thomas attacked Mr Bush "from behind" in his bedroom after he entered through the kitchen at the property they shared, owned by the defendant's grandparents.

During the "sustained attack" Mr Bush "fled for his life" down two flights of stairs and onto the patio, the trial heard.

Mr Bush sustained 37 stab wounds in total, including 21 to the neck.

His cause of death was given as "multiple stab wounds to the neck and trunk".

The jury returned a unanimous verdict on Thursday afternoon after just over three hours of deliberation.

Thomas, who was wearing a blue T-shirt, attended the conclusion of the trial via video link from a secure hospital.

The court heard how Mr Bush was Thomas's "only known real friend".

Thomas has schizophrenia, the trial was told. He had initially claimed he was acting in self-defence on the day of the attack.

'We will have to live with the grief'

Speaking outside court after the verdict, Mr Bush's sister Catrin said the family had been "completely devastated" by his "brutal and senseless murder".

"Will was innocently getting ready to return back to Brecon to spend Christmas with us all when the attack took place," she said.

She added: "And instead of Will arriving at our door for dinner on Christmas Eve, it was Dyfed-Powys Police that delivered the beyond devastating news.

"We cannot even begin to comprehend the fear and suffering that Will endured on Christmas Eve last year.

"We will have to live with the hurt, grief, anger and upset for the rest of our lives."

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Online search for 'anatomy of neck' before attack

Thomas was staying with his grandmother in Rhoose, the Vale of Glamorgan, on the night before the attack.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, he had carried out an online search for the "anatomy of the neck", the jury heard.

Thomas, who could not drive, enquired about getting an Uber to Tŷ Matthew in Llandaff at 3.31am.

Later that morning, his grandmother agreed to take him to the house he shared with Mr Bush after he told her he "wanted to walk the dog" and they left her home in Rhoose at 10.41am.

Thomas had sent several messages to Mr Bush in the hours before the attack in which he said he needed to see him before Mr Bush went home to Brecon to spend Christmas with his family.

The prosecution argued there was "clear thinking on the part of Dylan Thomas".

"This was a frenzied attack where Mr Thomas could only have had one intention and that was to kill Mr Bush," said Gregory Bull KC, prosecuting.

Palace break-in attempt and messages to Musk

The defence argued Mr Bush's schizophrenia lay "at the centre" of the case.

"He didn't understand, because he was deluded. He believed, for whatever reason, that his best friend was threatening his life," said defence barrister Orlando Pownall KC.

During the trial, it was also heard how Thomas had been arrested "for trying to climb into Buckingham Palace" some weeks previously.

He also wrote to Elon Musk telling him he believed he had the ability to harness gravity.

Thomas will be sentenced on Monday 16 December.

(c) Sky News 2024: Dylan Thomas found guilty of murdering 'best friend' on Christmas Eve in Cardiff