Reported Heir to Multi-Million Fortune Sentenced to Life After Killing Best Friend in 'Brutal' Christmas Eve Attack

Dylan Thomas, 24, stabbed William Bush, 23, to death at their home in Wales on Dec. 24, 2023

• Dylan Thomas, 24, has been sentenced to life in prison after fatally stabbing his friend William Bush, 23, to death on Dec. 24, 2023, a court in Wales has heard
• Thomas is the heir to multi-million dollar company Peter's Pie's, according to reports
• The victim's sister Catrin said in court on Friday, Jan. 24, that her brother's life had been taken from him "in the most barbaric and cruel way," the BBC reported

The reported heir to a multi-million dollar fortune has been sentenced to life in prison after killing his best friend in a "ferocious knife attack" on Christmas Eve 2023.

On Friday, Jan. 24, Dylan Thomas, 24, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after fatally stabbing his best friend William Bush, 23, at a house they shared in Llandaff, Cardiff, per a press release from the South Wales Police.

According to the BBC, Thomas is the grandson of Sir Stanley Thomas, who made his fortune with the South Wales-based company Peter's Pies. The late Stanley Thomas passed on the company to his sons, Thomas' grandfather, Stan Junior — who was present in court for the sentencing — and his brother, Peter, who died in 2023, the outlet reported.

The BBC previously reported that Peter's Pies, now known as Peter's Food, was estimated to have a net worth of £230 million (almost $286 million) in 2013.

"Thomas will serve a minimum term of 19 years discounting the 337 days which he has already served in prison," police said in Friday's release. Thomas was convicted of the murder in November 2024 following a trial. He'd previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder.

According to the BBC, Thomas appeared in court via video link on Friday from Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, U.K., where he has been receiving treatment for schizophrenia and psychosis.

Police said of the murder in a Nov. 21 release, "The night before, 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," police continued.

The release added that the texts between the pair resumed at around 11 a.m. local time on Dec. 24, 2023, "while Thomas was being driven from Rhoose to Llandaff by his grandmother, under the pretense that he needed to check on his dog."

Once at the house, Thomas stabbed his best friend multiple times, before ringing for an ambulance "while a witness in the nearby car park rang police," the release added, stating Thomas had been arrested at the scene. 

At Friday's sentencing, Judge Karen Steyn said the killing was a "sustained and ferocious knife attack" on "a young man who had been a firm and loyal friend," per the BBC.

"He was a compassionate, loving, witty and vibrant young man," the judge added, according to the outlet. "He had a bright future ahead of him."

The victim's sister Catrin said in court that her brother's life had been taken from him "in the most barbaric and cruel way," the BBC reported.

"My family have been left with a massive hole which will never be filled," she said, per the outlet.

The victim's girlfriend, Elle Jeffreys, said in court that she'd "lost a future we had both planned and prepared for," adding, "Will was the love of my life and meant everything to me," the BBC reported.

The Guardian previously reported that Thomas had stabbed the victim — whom he'd known since they met at the private school Christ College Brecon in mid-Wales at age around 13 — 37 times in the attack.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Joanne Harris, said, per Friday's police release, “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 the 24th December 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," Harris added.

“Our thoughts during sentencing today, as they have been throughout the investigation, are with William, his family and girlfriend," she continued.

“Whilst we recognize 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," Harris said.

She concluded, “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.”

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Bush's family previously called Thomas "an evil, manipulative liar" in a statement shared by the South Wales Police.

They said they had "been completely devastated by the brutal and senseless murder," adding, "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 Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.