Man who stabbed friend 37 times showed 'clear thinking' in the hours before the attack, court hears

A man who killed his best friend on Christmas Eve was demonstrating "clear thinking" in the hours before the attack, a jury has heard during a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

Dylan Thomas, now 24, stabbed William Bush 37 times in the Llandaff area of Cardiff on December 24th 2023.

Mr Thomas has previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, but denies murder.

A jury has already heard evidence from a forensic psychiatrist who told the court he believed Thomas had been psychotic "for many months" before the fatal incident.

Mr Bush sustained serious wounds to his neck during what the prosecution described as a "frenzied attack" and died at the scene.

On Wednesday, while concluding the prosecution's case, Mr Greg Bull KC told the court that the defendant and the victim "were good friends".

"That's one of the mysteries of this case, we don't know what caused Dylan Thomas to act in the way he did".

“Whether it was a feeling of loneliness or resentment, despite having everything in life, Dylan Thomas had achieved very little", Mr Bull continued.

"Whereas on the other side of the coin, Mr Bush, having come from very little, achieved great success in his personal life... Everything in his life was on the up where it might have been perceived in Dylan Thomas’ case, life was on the downward spiral.”

Thomas told police he had acted in self defence, but Mr Bull said Thomas had shown “clear thinking.”

"These sort of wounds, we say, show his attacker showed an intention to kill", Mr Bull said.

“Only two people can tell you if there might have been a motive. One of them is dead and the other, for reasons known to you, has not been able to give evidence, so don’t speculate.”

The court has previously heard that Mr Thomas had made a number of internet searches the night before the fatal incident, including looking up anatomy of veins and arteries.

In concluding the defence case, Mr Orlando Pownall KC said that the only explanation for Mr Thomas' actions was that his psychotic state had substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgement or self control.

Referring to the prosecution's case, Mr Pownall said: "[the suggestion] that a sudden considered loss of temper could have nothing to do with his mental state, is untenable."

Earlier in the trial Dr Panchu Xavier, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ashworth High Secure Hospital, where the defendant is being treated for schizophrenia, told the court: "My view is that he was convinced he was going to come to harm", Dr Xavier said.

"If that is what you think, you are going to try to eliminate that threat."

"In his mind, that's why he behaved as he did. He felt threatened by his best friend and that's why he responded as he did.

"The jury has previously heard that Mr Thomas initially stabbed Mr Bush in his bedroom, before chasing him down the stairs of the 3 storey house they shared in Cardiff where the assault continued.

Defence barrister Mr Pownall painted a picture to the court of the confused and troubled mind of Dylan Thomas in the hours before the attack.

He referred the jury to the seemingly random and varied searches he made on the night of 23rd December, including methods of overdosing and assisted suicide, and said that these were evidence themselves of his psychotic mental state.

Thomas has been appearing in court via video link from a maximum security hospital in Liverpool, where he has been living for 8 months.

The trial, being heard in front of Judge Lady Justice Karen Steyn, continues.

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