Anatomy of a Betrayal: The Murder of William Bush

SUMMARY

On Christmas Eve 2023 in Llandaff, Cardiff, 23-year-old William Bush was brutally murdered by his childhood friend Dylan Thomas. Thomas stabbed Bush 37 times, including 21 wounds to the neck, in a frenzied attack at the home they shared.

The night before the killing, Thomas stayed at his grandmother’s home in Rhoose before returning to Llandaff, claiming he needed to check on his dog. Evidence later revealed he had searched online for “anatomy of the neck” before the attack.

At trial, Thomas admitted manslaughter under diminished responsibility but denied murder. In November 2024, a jury found him guilty of murder. He was sentenced in January 2025 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.

William’s family described him as a “loyal, funny, and caring” young man with a promising future — a life cut short by senseless violence that left a community reeling and a family shattered.

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References:

• Hundred Families – The Victims, Wales
• BBC News
• South Wales Argus
• Mirror
• Sky News
• Wales Online
• South Wales Police

Transcript

It was Christmas Eve 2023 and, in many ways, for many people, it was the first “normal” Christmas for a short while. The COVID pandemic was over and, having made careful choices for the past year’s celebrations, the Christmas of 2023 marked a return to normality for most of us.

But for two families, it was to be a tragedy — a moment of forever heartbreak that will undoubtedly be remembered for a lifetime.

Earlier this week, we talked about the murder of Father Paul Bennett in 2007 and the important lessons that case highlighted. It was a murder that raised questions about mental ill health, the devastating impact caused by care failings, and the urgent takeaways that needed to be learned.

In today’s episode, we’re going to be talking about another case that may one day force the same questions.

Today, we’re discussing the murder of William Bush.

Intro music plays.

The date is the 24th of December 2023 in the village of Llandaff — a pretty, leafy suburb of Caerdydd, or Cardiff, the Welsh capital.

This case tells the story of two friends: one who would kill, and one who would lose his life.

The eventual trial would hear that William Bush had been a popular and well-liked young man, while Dylan Thomas had been somewhat of a loner. William was a keen rugby player and also enjoyed golf. At the time of his death, he was working with a commercial property firm. Dylan, meanwhile, worked as a computer programmer.

Having met while attending Christ College, a private school in Brecon, the unlikely pair had become friends and eventually moved into a property together — a home owned by Dylan’s grandparents and the Welsh rugby star Gareth Edwards.

However, things had started to fray in the months before the murder. William’s girlfriend later told police that William had grown concerned about Dylan after he confessed that he had thought about killing him. William began spending more time in his room and was preparing to move in with his girlfriend. He was due to start a new job, and everything seemed to be moving forward for him.

At the time of the murder, William Bush was 23 years old, and Dylan Thomas was 24.

For around six months before the murder, Dylan’s family had noticed changes in his behaviour, but nothing they considered “psychotic.” His family later told doctors that Dylan had begun saying odd things, though there were no clear symptoms of psychosis.

In one conversation, recalled at trial, his grandmother said Dylan had spoken about teleportation and witches.

“He asked if we believed in the Illuminati. He was right into it — silly things. It was a very strange conversation.”

In the days before the murder, Dylan was staying with his grandmother in Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan. Throughout the morning, he grew increasingly agitated, sending several text messages. He persuaded his grandmother to drive him to his home in Llandaff, saying he needed to check on his dog, Bruce — a request she would later deeply regret.

“I never in a million years envisaged anything like that with Dylan because he’s such a quiet, reserved boy.”

Texts recovered from that day show Dylan messaging William:
 “You home?”
 William replied, “Yeah, I’m home.”
 Dylan’s final message read, “Ok nearly home stay there.”

Once inside, Dylan retrieved knives from the kitchen and went to William’s bedroom. Unbeknownst to William, Dylan was armed with both a large kitchen knife and a flick knife.

A forensic search later revealed blood throughout the house — in almost every room. Passersby reported hearing screams. Dylan then emerged, covered in blood.

One witness, having coffee nearby with his family, told the court:
 “We heard someone shouting, ‘Help me.’ It sounded serious. I didn’t expect to see a pool of blood and someone with a knife.”

He described seeing a man on all fours and another standing near the French windows.

Dylan’s grandmother, waiting in the car outside, recalled:
 “He was in such a state. Screaming. Screaming. He kept saying, ‘I think he’s dead.’”

She later attempted to perform CPR on William, though reports vary about where his body was found — some saying on the patio, others suggesting near Llandaff Cathedral’s car park.

“I handed the phone to Dylan and said, ‘Phone the police, phone the ambulance.’ It felt like an age before I heard the sirens. I thought Will was still alive — his eyes were open. I prayed he would be okay, and I didn’t stop.”

Dylan called 999, telling the operator his friend had “gone mental” and stabbed him — his first attempt to claim self-defence.

He had injuries on his hands, which he also claimed were defensive.

William was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. He had been stabbed 37 times, with both knives used.

Dylan was first charged with attempted murder, then re-charged with murder after William’s death.

At trial, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, citing diminished responsibility. The prosecution rejected this, maintaining that the act was deliberate and premeditated.

Evidence supported that claim: Dylan had searched online for “anatomy of the neck,” “arteries and veins,” the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, and psychiatric clinics in Cardiff.

His doctor later testified that Dylan had likely been contemplating suicide or seeking help, but his delusions had blurred reality.

Dylan claimed he had entered William’s room to find him holding a knife and that he acted in self-defence — a version of events the court rejected.

After his arrest, Dylan reportedly told officers he was Jesus and offered one of them a “job with God.” He also spoke about “coke that had been planted” and “energy fields.”

Police and medical experts confirmed Dylan had been arrested weeks earlier for attempting to scale the fence at Buckingham Palace, claiming he was “exploring energy fields” between the palace and Cleopatra’s Needle.

By March 2024, Dylan had been moved to Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Liverpool, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. His doctor testified that Dylan had been psychotic both before and after the murder.

Dylan came from a wealthy and well-connected family. His grandfather, Sir Stanley Thomas, is the founder of Peter’s Foods — known for its sausage rolls and pies — and the family have links to the TBI group, which once owned Cardiff Airport.

At trial, the defence argued Dylan’s background masked a turbulent upbringing that included parental separation and possible domestic abuse. They insisted his mental illness was central to the killing.

The prosecution disagreed, with psychiatrist Dr Dilum Jayawickrama stating that Dylan’s psychosis did not cause the murder and that he had a clear understanding of his actions.

Dr Jayawickrama pointed to the pre-planning — the online searches, the deliberate arming with knives, and the calculated nature of the attack.

In his closing speech, prosecutor Greg Bull KC told the jury:
 “We don’t know what caused Dylan Thomas to act in the way he did. If he was suffering psychosis and feared Mr Bush would kill him, why on earth was he going there?”

He added:
 “Despite having everything in life, Dylan Thomas had achieved very little. On the other side of the coin, Mr Bush, having come from very little, achieved great success.”

On 21 November 2024, after deliberating for only a few hours, the jury found Dylan Thomas guilty of murder.

Cries were heard from the public gallery as the verdict was read.

William’s sister, Catrin Bush, later said the family had been devastated by the “brutal and senseless murder” of William. She described Dylan as “an evil, manipulative liar” who had shown no remorse.

“Will was such a loyal, funny, caring and trusting person. He lit up every room he went into with his cheeky grin and quick-witted humour. We cannot even begin to comprehend the fear and suffering that Will endured on Christmas Eve last year. Instead of Will arriving at our door for dinner, it was Dyfed-Powys Police delivering the beyond devastating news.”

Detective Inspector Rebecca Merchant of South Wales Police added:
 “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.”

Dylan Thomas was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years, minus time already served. He continues to receive treatment in a secure hospital, where his condition has improved under antipsychotic medication but remains under observation.

William Bush’s life was cut short at just 23 — a young man with promise, love, and ambition, whose memory endures through those who knew and loved him.