The sister of Rhiannon Skye Whyte, who was fatally stabbed whereas ready on the platform of a Walsall practice station, a two-minute stroll from her office, has referred to as the affect of shedding her “catastrophic”.
Whyte, 27, was critically injured at Bescot Stadium railway station on 20 October whereas on the cellphone to her finest good friend, after ending a shift at a close-by Radisson lodge.
Deng Chol Majek, 18, understood to be a Sudanese asylum seeker who was staying on the lodge the place Whyte labored, has been charged with homicide following the assault.
Alexandra Whyte, 29, Rhiannon’s sister, stated: “We are taking it minute by minute. The impact of losing Rhiannon is catastrophic.”
Rhiannon’s household stated she had been working in hospitality on the Park Inn by Radisson lodge for about six months previous to her loss of life, and loved “sitting with and spending time with the service users” who stayed there.
Alexandra stated: “A lot of them opened up to her about their story of how they came to the UK. She always saw the good in everyone, and with her working at the hotel, it meant that she was making a positive difference to people in need.”
The household first came upon in regards to the assault from Rhiannon’s shut good friend, who had been on the cellphone to her when the assault came about, and referred to as emergency companies and Rhiannon’s household after turning into involved about what she had heard.
Alexandra stated: “I can’t imagine what [her friend] must have felt in that moment. But thankfully for her and her quick reaction, she got Rhiannon the help she needed.
“We were in shock. But as a family we were holding out hope. We never believed it would be life ending for her.”
Rhiannon was taken to hospital with critical accidents after the assault at about 11.25pm on 20 October and she or he died in hospital from her accidents three days later, surrounded by her household.
“We got to hold her hand. We got to be with her. We got to play her songs,” her sister stated. “We were told Rhiannon would have been blind due to her injuries, but we as a family thought, OK, we will take care of her, she would be absolutely fine, she’ll never need or want for anything. But her condition deteriorated very, very fast after a little glimmer of hope.”
Alexandra described her sister, one in every of 5 siblings, as “the most selfless, giving, loving person” who was “quirky, unconventionally funny and family oriented”.
She stated: “Everywhere she went, she made new friends and these were friends for life. Her devotion to help was unmatched, and she was always happy. If she ever thought that someone was down or feeling low, she always went above and beyond to pick them up again.”
She was a fan of Disney and notably cherished the character Sew from Lilo & Sew, they stated.
Rhiannon had a five-year-old son and a lot of younger nieces and nephews who’re all heartbroken after her loss of life, her household stated. They’ve raised greater than £5,000 to assist her son and honour Rhiannon’s legacy.
Alexandra stated: “It was never quiet with our family, but Rhiannon would always be in the middle of it, always. And now we’re sitting in a room waiting for her to walk in and knowing that is never going to happen – that’s what is crushing us.”
Rhiannon lived along with her mom, described as her “best friend”, in Walsall, and her journey to and from work took solely 10 minutes, together with a five-minute journey on the practice she was ready for on the time of the assault.
“It is a minute and a half on a slow walk from the doors of her work to the platform she was standing on, and her train was less than two minutes away. She did this journey six days a week, most weeks, it was the most normal of things for Rhiannon,” stated Alexandra.
“No matter what, Rhiannon will get the justice she deserves and we will continue to say her name.”
A spokesperson for the Radisson lodge group stated: “We are extremely saddened by the loss of a much-valued staff member of the hotel following this tragic event.
“Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies are with Rhiannon’s family and support is being provided to those affected as much as possible during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family’s privacy and the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
