Man, 24, sentenced for Christmas murder of best friend
Dylan Thomas was found guilty of murdering his best friend in December 2023 Photo cred: South Wales Police
A 24-year-old man from Llandaff was handed a life sentence for the murder of his best friend.
Dylan Thomas fatally stabbed William Bush at a house they shared in Llandaff on Christmas Eve 2023.
Thomas was sentenced to life imprisonment at Cardiff Crown Court on January 24 following a trial last November.
He will serve a minimum term of 19 years - minus the 337 days which he has already served in prison.
Officer in the case, Detective Constable Joanne Harris, said: “William Bush was a much-loved son, brother and boyfriend with a bright future ahead of him which included moving in with his girlfriend and starting a new job.
“He was killed by someone he regarded as his friend having done nothing to warrant the brutal violence inflicted upon him.”
DC Harris continued: “Whilst we recognise that Dylan Thomas’ sentence of life in prison with a minimum of 19 years’ imprisonment won’t bring William back, we do hope that this outcome goes someway to allowing the family to grieve and help in some way with their heartbreak.
“Finally, I want to reiterate our thanks to the community of Llandaff for its support during this investigation and to Williams’s family and his girlfriend for bravely reading their victim impact statements.”
What happened on December 24 2023?
On December 23 2023 Thomas had been out for a family meal in Miskin, Llantrisant.
When he returned to his grandmother’s home in Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, he began a Snapchat conversation with Mr Bush into the early hours of the morning.
While texting his best friend, he was also searching the internet for veins, arteries, anatomy, and assisted suicide.
The text conversation resumed around 11am on Christmas Eve while Thomas was being driven from Rhoose to Llandaff by his grandmother. He said that needed to check on his dog.
Thomas entered the house and stabbed Mr Bush multiple times. He then rang for an ambulance while a witness in a nearby car park rang the police.
Thomas was arrested at the scene and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder.
Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November 2024, Thomas was convicted of Mr Bush’s murder.
Family statement
After the November verdict, Mr Bush’s family released a statement which said: "My family have been completely devastated by the brutal and senseless murder of our much-loved Will.
“Words cannot describe the impact this has had on our family however it is not just us who have lost a son and a brother, but Will’s girlfriend, friends and extended family have also lost someone who they loved very much.”
The family added that instead of Mr Bush arriving home for dinner on Christmas Eve it was the police instead who arrived to “deliver the beyond-devastating news.”
Williams Bush’s family called him a “loyal, funny, caring and trusting person” Photo cred: South Wales Police
The statement continued: "Dylan Thomas is an evil, manipulative liar. Throughout this process we have seen no evidence of any remorse or taking responsibility for his actions that day.
“We can only hope that he will never be released back into the community.”
The family added that Mr Bush was a “loyal, funny, caring and trusting person” who has a talented golfer, had a large group of friends and was “excited for his future” and planning on moving in with his girlfriend soon.
The statement said: “This has all tragically been taken away from Will, who had his whole life ahead of him, but we ask that he is remembered as the great person he was, and his memory is not defined by this barbaric attack."
