Man denies murder of asylum hotel worker
FamilyA man has denied murdering a woman who worked at the asylum hotel in which he was staying.
Deng Chol Majek, 18, is accused of stabbing Rhiannon Skye Whyte at Bescot Stadium station in Walsall.
Mr Majek had been living at the nearby Park Inn Hotel, where 27-year-old Ms Whyte was employed.
She died in hospital on 23 October, three days after she was hurt.
Mr Majek, an asylum seeker, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court via video link from HMP Manchester on Friday.
Sitting behind a wooden desk and wearing a blue top, he said "not guilty, I did not kill her" when he was asked to enter his plea.
The defendant, originally from South Sudan and speaking through an Arabic interpreter, denied being present at the scene, the court heard.
He also denied a second charge of unlawfully possessing a screwdriver at the railway station.
Members of Ms Whyte's family sat in the public gallery to watch the proceedings, which lasted for about 20 minutes.
Mr Majek was remanded in custody until a pre-trial hearing set for 7 February, with the trial expected to take place in 2025.
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