Dylan Thomas trial: Mental health ‘lies at the centre’ of Christmas Eve killing, defence claims

Mental health “lies at the centre” of the trial of a man accused of murdering his “best friend” on Christmas Eve, his defence lawyer has claimed.

Dylan Thomas, 24, is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of the murder of 23-year-old William Bush in the Llandaff area of the city.

He has admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denies murder.

The trial heard Mr Bush sustained 37 stab wounds, including 21 wounds to the neck, in a “frenzied attack” at the property the two men shared.

The defendant, wearing a navy zipped fleece, appeared via video link from a secure hospital.

Concluding the defence case on Wednesday, Orlando Pownall KC said it was “accepted that what occurred could not have amounted” to self-defence.

He described Thomas as “withdrawn, a loner, lacking in confidence” and said the defendant’s schizophrenia was “relevant” to the case.

“He didn’t understand, because he was deluded. He believed, for whatever reason, that his best friend was threatening his life,” he added.

Mr Pownall said the prosecution’s suggestion that Thomas attacked Mr Bush in his bedroom with two knives was “not borne out on the evidence”.

The jury of 10 men and two women heard that two knives were found at the scene, a pen knife and a kitchen knife.

“There is no evidence that Dylan necessarily armed himself with a knife before entering the room,” he added.

“Something occurred in that room in the short period of time that Dylan was there that caused him to do what he did.”

Mr Pownall said it was “perfectly plain” the attack was “initiated by Dylan” and that Mr Bush “undoubtedly” got hold of a kitchen knife to defend himself as “something must have caused the injuries to Dylan’s hands”.

Prosecuting, Gregory Bull KC said he “did not accept that Mr Thomas’s mental function was so substantially affected as to precipitate this violence against William Bush, because there was no trigger”.

“To all intents and purposes, they were good friends. And that is one of the mysteries of this case,” he added.

Mr Bull said Mr Bush was subjected to a “sustained attack” and said the defendant had taken “one, if not two knives” to the bedroom.

“It is quite plain that first of all, William Bush was stabbed in the neck from behind,” he said.

“Mr Bush fled for his life and fled down two flights of stairs.”

Mr Bull said: “I do not suggest for a second that [the defendant] is not unwell”.

“There was no trigger, there was nothing to suggest that Dylan Thomas had a pathological fear that Mr Bush would kill him,” he added.

Mr Bull also said there was “no sign in that bedroom of a fight between two grown men”.

The jury is expected to retire to begin its deliberations on Thursday morning.