Murder Suspect Previously Tried to Scale Buckingham Palace Fence, Court Hears

A court was informed that an individual who fatally attacked his housemate on Christmas Eve had been apprehended several weeks prior for trying to climb the perimeter fence of Buckingham Palace. Dylan Thomas, aged 24, admitted to the manslaughter of William Bush, aged 23, in December 2023, but refutes the charge of murder. Proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court revealed that the two individuals had become acquainted during their time at Christ College in Brecon, Powys, and had maintained a friendship thereafter. While Mr. Bush enjoyed popularity, “Dylan Thomas had few friends and was viewed as something of a loner,” according to prosecutor Gregory Bull KC, who further stated that Mr. Bush was Mr. Thomas’s “only real friend”. The jury viewed a police interview conducted with Mr. Bush’s brother, Alex, dated January 12, 2024. During this interview, Alex informed detectives that he had communicated with his brother via Facetime, at which point his brother disclosed that Mr. Thomas had been arrested on November 6 for attempting to scale the palace’s fence. Mr. Bush recounted that “Will laughed it off” and commented that “it was Dylan’s nature.” He also described his brother as popular, consistently having many friends, and noted that he was “too caring at times.” The court was informed that William Bush and Mr. Thomas shared a residence on Chapel Street, Llandaff. The “dynamics” of their strong friendship reportedly shifted when Mr. Bush entered a relationship and intended to cohabit with his girlfriend, as presented in court. A recorded police interview with William Bush’s girlfriend, Ella Jefferies, was also presented to the jury. She mentioned Mr. Thomas being out on bail subsequent to his arrest in London. Ms. Jefferies further recounted her boyfriend securing himself in his bedroom and experiencing fear after an exchange with his housemate. The court heard Mr. Thomas’s statement: “I thought and wondered about killing you. I just wanted to see what would happen if I do certain things.” Ms. Jefferies indicated the presence of several weapons within the residence, specifically a samurai sword acquired by the defendant in Austria and a “couple of BB guns”. On December 23, Mr. Thomas traveled to stay with his grandmother in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. Mr. Bush had made arrangements to spend that evening with Ms. Jefferies, followed by Christmas with his family in Brecon. The court was informed that Mr. Thomas appeared agitated at his grandmother’s residence. Mr. Bull stated that at 00:36 on December 24, Mr. Thomas conducted a computer search for the “anatomy of the neck,” and at 02:42, he dispatched a text message to Mr. Bush, indicating a need to meet before Mr. Bush departed for Brecon for Christmas. Mr. Bull suggested this demonstrated Mr. Thomas was developing an intent to kill his housemate. By 03:31, Mr. Thomas attempted to reserve an Uber taxi service to Chapel Street but was unsuccessful. The subsequent morning, his grandmother, Sharon Burton, consented to transport Mr. Thomas to Llandaff, as he claimed he wished to walk the dog. During the drive, Mrs. Burton characterized him as growing “more and more agitated” and dispatching multiple text messages. She parked her vehicle outside the residence as Mr. Thomas entered. The prosecution asserts that he then equipped himself with two knives, specifically a large kitchen knife and a flick knife, and ascended two flights of stairs to Mr. Bush’s bedroom, where the assault commenced. Mr. Bush suffered a total of 37 stab wounds, comprising 13 to the front and side of his neck, eight to the rear of his neck, seven to the front of his torso, and eight to the back of his torso. Additionally, he sustained a slash wound to his face, a laceration to his ear, and 13 cuts to his left hand. Mrs. Burton, who experiences hearing loss, subsequently observed Mr. Thomas distressed and banging on her car window. “Passers-by heard screams of horror coming from the address,” stated Mr. Bull. Mrs. Burton then discovered an injured Mr. Bush on the patio outside the residence and initiated CPR. The jury heard a 999 emergency call placed by Mr. Thomas, during which he requested an ambulance be dispatched to the car park on Chapel Street. He informed the operator that his friend had “gone mental” and stabbed him. When the 999 operator asked him to describe the injuries and their locations, he responded: “Everywhere on him, I kept going and stabbed him. I didn’t stop,” further stating: “he stabbed me on my hands, my hands to get the knife.” “This was a planned attack,” asserted Mr. Bull, who also stated: “He deliberately armed himself with knives and attacked him from behind.” Mr. Bull informed the jury that Mr. Thomas is currently receiving treatment for schizophrenia at Ashworth High Secure Hospital on Merseyside, from which he is participating in the proceedings via videolink. Mr. Thomas maintains his denial of the murder charge, and the trial is ongoing.