Niamh Shackleton
The heir to a pie company fortune who murdered his best friend on Christmas Eve has been sentenced to life in prison for his 'barbaric and cruel' crime.
William Bush, 23, was killed by Dylan Thomas, the grandson of pie company tycoon Sir Stanley Thomas, at their home in Cardiff, Wales, on December 24, 2023.
As of 2013, the Thomas' businessman grandfather had a net worth of around £230,000,000 (over $287,000,000).
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Thomas stabbed Bush 37 times using a flick knife and kitchen knife.
During his trial in November 2024, the court heard that Thomas had searched online for the anatomy of the neck before Bush's murder.
While he admitted to manslaughter, he denied murdering his childhood friend; but jurors took just three hours to find him guilty of murder, BBC News reports.
He has since been sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday (January 24) at Cardiff Crown Court, and ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years.
In a victim impact statement, Bush’s sister Catrin spoke on behalf of herself and her brother Alex — describing her brother’s death as a 'barbaric crime'.
“Will’s life was taken away from him on December 24, 2023 in the most barbaric and cruel way,” she said.
“Will was innocently getting things sorted to return back to Brecon to spend Christmas with us as a family.
“But instead of Will returning home for dinner on Christmas Eve, it was Dyfed-Powys Police knocking on our door informing us that Will had died.
“I cannot put into words how traumatic and awful this experience was, and I still have intense moments of panic when I think about this.
“Myself and Alex cannot begin to comprehend the fear and suffering that Will endured on that day.
“We are truly haunted from the horror of it and this will live with us forever.”
Thomas was not physically present in court yesterday, as the 24-year-old is is being treated for schizophrenia at Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool.
Instead, he heard his fate via video link.
Despite his mental health condition, the judge who gave Thomas his sentencing said: "I am satisfied that as a result of your schizophrenia, your ability to form a rational judgment was impaired, albeit not the substantial level required to establish the defence of diminished responsibility."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].