A former pupil of Christ College Brecon has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his best friend on Christmas Eve.
Dylan Thomas stabbed William Bush, 23, on December 24 2023 a total of 37 times.
The attack took place in the house they shared in Llandaff, Cardiff.
Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November 2024, Thomas was convicted of his murder.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment at the same court today (Friday, January 24).
Thomas will serve a minimum term of 19 years, discounting the 337 days which he has already served in prison.
Thomas, 24, appeared before the court by video link from Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, where he is being treated for schizophrenia.
He sat emotionless, and spoke only to confirm he could hear the judge.
The night before the attack, 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 William 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, under the pretence that he needed to check on his dog.
After she parked outside the property, Thomas went inside and carried the knives upstairs to Mr Bush's bedroom, where he stabbed him repeatedly.
Passers-by "heard screams of horror" from the house, the prosecution said.
Thomas was arrested at the scene.
The prosecution told the trial it was "a planned attack" by Thomas on Mr Bush.
Thomas claimed he was suffering from an "abnormality of mind" due to psychosis and schizophrenia.
He had been arrested weeks prior to the attack on Mr Bush for trying to scale the fence at Buckingham Palace.
Speaking in court, Mr Bush's sister Catrin said her brother's life was taken "in the most barbaric way".
“Instead of him coming home on Christmas Eve it was Dyfed-Powys Police knocking on our door to tell us he had died,” she said.
“He was such a loyal, funny person. He lit up every room with his cheeky grin and quick-witted humour,” she said.
"My family have been left with a massive hole which will never be filled."
Addressing Thomas, Ms Bush said she “did not know how someone could be so cruel, heartless and evil.”
“I hope you are never released back into the community and you live out the rest of your years in prison,” she said.
Mr Bush had been excited for his future with his girlfriend Ella Jefferies, and they were planning on moving in together.
He was a supporter of Arsenal football club and also played golf for Powys. He was a talented sportsman and spent much of his free time on the golf course with his brother, Alex.
Thomas, meanwhile, was said to be a loner with very few friends.
The pair had attended Christ College Brecon.
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.
“On December 24 2023, 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.
“Our thoughts during sentencing today, as they have been throughout the investigation, are with William, his family and girlfriend.
“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 some way 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 William’s family and his girlfriend for bravely reading their victim impact statements.”
Dylan Thomas is a member of the wealthy Thomas family. His grandfather, Sir Stanley Thomas, founded Peter’s Pies.