A mentally ill man who stabbed a grandmother to death in a frenzied attack at a bus stop has been ordered to be detained indefinitely. Jala Debella, 24, killed 66-year-old medical secretary Anita Mukhey in front of horrified onlookers on Burnt Oak Broadway in Edgware, northwest London in May 2024.
Debella, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, stabbed Ms Mukhey 18 times before calmly walking away as witnesses rushed to try and save her. The Old Bailey heard that Debella had become obsessed with gory online videos and was able to purchase a hunting knife online, despite living in a residential home supporting people with mental health issues.
In a statement, Ms Mukhey’s husband Hari said the grandmother-of-two was the “centre of our home” and her absence had left a “silence that nothing can fill.” The family questioned how Debella was able to acquire weapons online while living in a registered mental health facility, raising “serious questions about how risk is assessed.”
Debella was sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act, meaning he can be detained indefinitely. Judge Philip Katz KC said Ms Mukhey was “the heart of the family” and her death was a “tragic case.” Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila recognised the “dignity and courage” shown by Ms Mukhey’s family over the past 20 months.
