The grandson of a pie company tycoon has been jailed for life after he fatally stabbed his best friend at a house they shared.
Dylan Thomas, 24, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years for the murder of his friend William Bush, 23, at their home in Llandaff, Cardiff.
A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard Thomas had attended the Powys private school Christ College Brecon with William Bush and that the pair had been "lifelong friends".
Bush, who had been planning to move out of their house to live with his girlfriend, suffered fatal injuries when Thomas attacked him with two knives on December 24, 2023, at their Ty Mathew home.
Dylan Thomas murdered William Bush on Christmas Eve
South Wales PoliceThomas, now 24, had been staying at his grandmother’s house in Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, the night before he attacked Bush, when he begged her to take him back to his house, insisting he wanted to walk his dog, Bruce.
His grandmother sat in the car while he went inside, but he returned minutes later, banging on the window covered in blood.
Thomas stabbed his friend 37 times, including to the neck, chest, head and back, and people on the street described screams of “horror” from inside the house.
The court heard that Thomas had searched online for the anatomy of the neck before going back to the house.
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Cardiff Crown CourtWIKIMEDIA COMMONSBush’s father, John, said in a victim impact statement: “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."
Thomas appeared before the court by video link from Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, where he is being treated for schizophrenia. He sat emotionless, speaking only to confirm he could hear the judge.
His grandfather, Sir Stanley Thomas, the founder of Peter’s Pies, whose net worth was estimated to be £230million in 2013, sat in court throughout the sentencing.
Dr Panchu Xavier, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ashworth, told the court the defendant could have been having a psychotic episode during the attack and for "up to six months before the event".
The jury also heard Thomas had been arrested for breaking into Buckingham Palace a few months before the attack on Bush. Thomas told officers he was looking for "energy fields" between the Palace and Cleopatra’s Needle, an obelisk in central London.
He was rugby-tackled by an officer after he told them he was "over now so you may as well show me round".
Dylan Thomas murdered his friend, Wiliam Bush
South Wales Police
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Rebecca Merchant said: "William Bush was a much-loved son, brother and boyfriend with a bright future ahead of him which included moving in with his girlfriend and starting a new job.
"On December 24, 2023, as he looked forward to spending Christmas with his family and girlfriend, he was killed by someone he regarded as his friend having done nothing to warrant the brutal violence inflicted upon him.
"Our thoughts today, as they have been throughout the investigation, are with William, his family and girlfriend and whilst we welcome today’s verdict we recognise that nothing will ever bring William back or take away the heartbreak felt by those who loved him the most.
"I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of police officers and emergency service colleagues who tried their best to help him. I am grateful to the community of Llandaff for their support during the investigation as well as expert witnesses who provided evidence in this case."
