Bus stop stabbing victim’s family ‘deeply troubled’ over facts of case

The family of a grandmother fatally stabbed at a bus stop have spoken out about the “deeply troubling” facts that her mentally ill killer was able to access gory videos and buy a hunting knife online.

Medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, was stabbed 18 times by Jala Debella, 24, in front of shocked passers-by in north London at about 11.50am on May 9 2024.

Debella then “casually” walked away while people rushed to help the victim and call 999.

Ms Mukhey died at 12.22pm despite efforts by medics, police and members of the public, the Old Bailey heard.

The court was told Debella was obsessed with gory online videos and was able to purchase the hunting knife on the internet despite living in a residential home supporting people with mental health problems.

The knife was delivered to his home in Colindale, north London, around an hour before he used it to stab Ms Mukhey to death, an act which mirrored violence he had watched.

Debella was deemed too unwell to stand trial for murder and following a trial of issue, a jury found he had committed the act of killing Ms Mukhey.

Afterwards, Ms Mukhey’s family issued a statement expressing concern about how Debella was able to access the weapon that killed her.

They said: “Many of us know what it means to have a mother who is the heart of the family. That was true for us.

“We are grateful that today’s proceedings have now concluded, and we would like to thank the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for their work throughout this process.

“As this case has unfolded, certain deeply troubling facts have emerged.

“The court has heard that a man with a severe mental illness was known to services and assessed by consultant psychiatrists as psychologically stable and safe for the community.

“At the same time, he was engaging in escalating behaviour outside those assessments, including acquiring weapons and researching extreme violence — behaviour that ultimately mirrored the violence he later carried out.

“That disconnect is hard to accept. It raises serious questions about how risk is assessed, and about whether current models are equipped to detect danger that develops beyond the spoken words of the consulting room.

“The court has also heard that, while living in a staffed, CQC (Care Quality Commission)-registered mental health rehabilitation home, he was able to purchase weapons online, which were received within that setting and passed on to him.

“Whether that is right, lawful or safe is not something this trial has examined — but it is something that must now be properly scrutinised.

“We recognise that these questions fall outside the scope of today’s proceedings. We want to be clear that our family stands ready to assist the coroner in any future inquest, in the interests of learning lessons and strengthening public protection.

“There is so much good in this country, and it is precisely because of that good that we must do better.”

Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay KC had said: “Debella killed Ms Mukhey in a senseless attack – so far as the prosecution are aware, they were completely unknown to each other.”

Debella had a “particular interest” in violent online videos depicting knives and weapons, jurors were told.

Two months before the killing, he had bought a 21cm-long blade for £120 from a shop in Covent Garden, jurors heard.

On April 26 2024, he tried to buy a “Survivor 9.5 fixed blade knife” from Blades.co.uk, which declined to supply it to him because of where he lived.

Just three days before the killing, he successfully purchased a hunting knife with a sheath from knifewarehouse.co.uk which was delivered on the morning of the stabbing.

Before setting off, Debella also searched on his computer for “killing video” and visited a website containing graphic violent content, jurors heard.

CCTV picked up the defendant walking north on Edgware Road, past a bus stop and then returning to the scene where Ms Mukhey was attacked on Burnt Oak Broadway.

Thirty seconds later, she could be seen collapsing in the road with the first 999 call being made at 11.48am.

Witnesses described seeing a male appear to argue and punch the victim in the face and stomach repeatedly then seeing a “shiny” object in the attacker’s hand.

As he left the area, the defendant was seen to throw something in a bin.

Later that day, police recovered a knife which looked identical to the one Debella had bought online, Mr Polnay said.

Forensic analysis showed it had DNA from Debella and Ms Mukhey on it, the court was told.

On returning home, Debella searched the internet for “knife”, “gore video” and “breaking news”.

Police arrived at 4.46pm and an officer saw Debella in the communal corridor and recognised him from CCTV footage, even though he had changed his clothes, it was alleged.

Examination of bloodstained Nike trainers seized from his room identified DNA “one billion times” more likely to come from Debella and Ms Mukhey than unknown people.

In a police interview, Debella made no comment and was charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

The jury deliberated for less than an hour to reach a finding that he had stabbed and killed Ms Mukhey and had the knife.

Adjourning sentencing to Friday, Judge Philip Katz KC told jurors that Debella would continue to be detained at a secure hospital in Liverpool where he remains unwell.

The judge said if he recovers, he could be tried for murder.

It can now be reported that Debella has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had no previous convictions for violence.

Members of Ms Mukhey’s family sat in court as Judge Katz said it was a “shocking case” and expressed a hope the trial would give them “a degree of closure”.

The Press Association has contacted the CQC for comment on issues in the case.