Pie empire heir to £230m fortune jailed for best friend's brutal murder, who is his grandfather Sir Stanley Thomas
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Dylan Thomas, a 24-year-old computer programmer described as lonely and emotionally dependent on his friend, fatally stabbed 23-year-old William Bush on Christmas Eve 2023. The attack occurred after Thomas discovered that Bush planned to move out and live with his girlfriend, Ella Jeffries. During his trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Thomas denied the murder. He was supported in court by his grandfather, Sir Stanley Thomas, a prominent businessman and philanthropist whose net worth was estimated at £230 million in 2013.
Sir Stanley Thomas, now 82, was knighted in 2006 for his charitable work and contributions to business. His career began with the family business, Peter’s Savoury Products, which was established by his father, Stanley Thomas Sr., in Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh Valleys. Initially focused on selling meat pies, the company grew significantly and was sold for £75 million in 1988.
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Hide AdThe brutal attack occurred at their shared home in Llandaff, Cardiff. William, a talented golfer, was found with 37 stab wounds, including 16 to the neck. Prosecutors told Cardiff Crown Court that Thomas armed himself with two knives before ambushing William as he sat near a beanbag. William tried to escape, fleeing down two flights of stairs and through the kitchen, but he collapsed on the patio after Thomas fatally slashed his throat, severing a major artery.
Prosecutor Greg Bull KC described the attack as “sustained and ferocious,” adding: “Dylan Thomas entered through the kitchen where he armed himself with a large kitchen knife and a black lock knife or flick knife. He then proceeded to go up the two staircases and into the room of William Bush. Mr Bush was attacked from behind, probably with the flick knife, as he sat or stood near a beanbag.


“There were repeated stabs to the back of the neck, his head, the front of the neck, and his chest. Dylan Thomas used the kitchen knife to stab Mr. Bush in the chest and cut his throat, severing the major artery in his neck, as a result of which Mr Bush bled to death.”
The court heard that Thomas’s resentment grew after William’s relationship with Ella became serious, and he planned to move out. In the months before the murder, Thomas told William, “I thought and/or wondered about killing you,” prompting William to barricade his bedroom door at night.
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Hide AdTheir friendship, once close, had begun to deteriorate. Mr Bull said, “Before Mr Bush met Ella Jeffries, the two men spent a great deal of time together. They would play golf, go out in the evening, and Mr Bush would support Mr Thomas in every way. Mr Bush regularly drove Mr Thomas anywhere he needed to go, as Mr Thomas could not drive. In short, Mr Thomas relied heavily on his friendship with Mr Bush.”


William’s family paid tribute to him as a “loyal, funny, and caring person” with a bright future. His parents, John and Elizabeth Bush, described the loss of their son as “cruel and indescribable.” In a victim impact statement, John said: “All our lives changed forever and in such a profound and fundamental way. This is not normal grief. Time cannot fully heal the loss of Will’s life. His life mattered. God bless you, Will.”
William’s sister, Catrin, also addressed Thomas in court, saying: “You have shown no remorse or respect during this entire process. I don’t know how someone could be so cruel, manipulative, heartless, and evil. You inflicted so much suffering on our innocent little brother, Will, and you have taken Will’s bright future away from him. I hope you’ll never be released back into the community and you live out the rest of your years in prison.”
Mrs Justice Steyn, in sentencing Thomas, said: “Will was a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him. You took a son away from his mother and father, you bereaved the woman he loved with whom he was planning his future, and you deprived his sister and brother of their young brother.” She described the attack as “calculated” and “ferocious.”
A post-mortem examination confirmed William’s cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest. Thomas will serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars.