Gore video fanatic who stabbed grandmother to dying at bus cease is indefinitely detained at psychiatric hospital – as sufferer’s household demand solutions over ‘deeply troubling’ case

A ‘gore video’ fanatic who stabbed a grandmother to death at a bus stop after viewing thousands of violent clips will be detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital, as her family say ‘deeply troubling’ questions remain over the killing.

Jala Debella, 24, bought a 7.5-inch hunting knife with a sheaf from an online store and the weapon was delivered to him just one hour before he chanced upon medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, in Edgware, northwest London.

Debella, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, wandered out of his supported living accommodation and stabbed Ms Mukhey at least 18 times in front of horrified witnesses in Burnt Oak Broadway on May 9, 2024.

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. 

Ms Mukhey’s family said today that the case had raised ‘serious questions’ over how Debella was being assessed and why a man with mental illness was allowed to purchase weapons online and have them delivered to a rehabilitation home.

Debella has since been held in Ashworth maximum hospital in Liverpool and was declared unfit to stand trial.

As a result of his mental illness, an Old Bailey jury was asked to find whether he did the acts as charged, namely stabbing and killing Ms Mukhey and having a knife.

The jury unanimously found that he had after deliberating for less than an hour.

Judge Philip Katz, KC, told the jury: ‘What you have decided will lead to this defendant’s continued detention in a secure hospital.

‘He’s been in Ashworth Secure Hospital for a long time and not getting any better despite extensive treatment.

‘Should he recover then we will have another trial where a jury will decide if he is guilty of the full offence of murder.

‘If he doesn’t recover he will stay where he is. You have my thanks for listening to this shocking case.’

Members of Ms Mukhey’s family held hands and cried as the verdict was delivered.

Judge Katz will formally order his detention at a hearing tomorrow morning.

Debella was living in Meridan House in Stonecrop Close, Colindale, at the time of the attack.

‘Meridan House is a nine-bedroom registered residential rehabilitation home to support people with mental health problems, to relearn and develop independent living skills,’ said Jonathan Polnay, KC, prosecuting.

‘The aim of a placement at Meridan House is to assist develop individuals to a point where they can be moved into further accommodation, such as self-contained flats or integrate them back into the community.’

The prosecutor said Debella tried to buy a ‘Survivor 9.5 fixed blade knife’ from Blades.co.uk on April 26, 2024.

‘The company declined to supply it to him,’ said Mr Polnay.

‘We can see the customer notes they realised that the defendant was a resident at accommodation for people with mental health issues.’

On May 6, 2024 he bought the 7.5-inch hunting knife with sheaf from knifewarehouse.co.uk using his passport as proof of his identity.

Debella also had a ‘particular interest in very violent videos,’ said Mr Polnay.

‘He would watch videos that depicted extreme violence being inflicted with knives and other weapons.’

Jurors were taken through extracts of his 3,115 google searches between May 6 and  May 9, including ‘killing videos’ on the Xgore website.

The site features ‘gore videos and pictures updated in real time…men and women die by accident, murder, suicide, beheading, dismemberment.’

Xgore also features a warning from the site owner which says: ‘This website contains extremely realistic images and videos of violence. Please consider carefully before viewing, as I bear no responsibility for your reactions or actions afterwards.’

Searches on the site included the beheadings of male and female Mexican gang members.

Analysis of Debella’s computer also revealed he had been accessing websites selling knives including knifewarehouse.co.uk, while also taking time to watch videos on YouTube featuring American rapper Travis Scott.

Jurors heard 325 searches related to knife companies, while he had also looked up ‘neck anatomy’ on the PC.

On May 9 he made repeated visits to the Royal Mail tracking website in the morning to check on the delivery of the hunting knife before he signed for it at 10.45am.

Debella used his computer to search for ‘killing video’ at 10.59am, then visited Xgore several times before leaving Meridan house at 11.23am.

At 11.46am he can be seen to sit on a bench outside Atholl House.

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. It was then he stabbed Ms Mukhey in front of horrified onlookers.

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

Witness Stefan Dennis had heard people screaming and cars beeping as the attack unfolded in front her.

She thought the attacker was ‘on drugs’ and saw him walk away ‘casually’ with ‘something shiny in his hand.’

Mr Dennis said he had tried to save Ms Mukhey by performing CPR until police and paramedics arrived, but she died within an hour of the attack.

Debella had inflicted probably 18 separate injuries with the hunting knife, including wounds to her heart and lungs.

Mr Polnay KC said: ‘Debella killed Ms Mukhey in a senseless attack – so far as the prosecution are aware, they were completely unknown to each other.’ 

He was soon back on his computer at Meridan House again, visiting the Cold Steel knife and tool company, the court heard.

CCTV showed Debella later leaving Merdian House wearing different clothing and carrying a black bin bag before making his way to a bin-store. He then returned to search for ‘Gore video – xgore’ and ‘breaking news’.

Police arrived at Meridan House at 4.46pm that day and a police officer recognised Debella from CCTV as the suspect.

Officers found a pair of white bloodstained Nike trainers under his bed containing a DNA profile matching that of Ms Mukhey.

Mr Polnay said it was ‘one billion times more likely’ the DNA originated from Ms Mukhey than an ‘unknown and unrelated individual’.

Debella’s DNA profile was also recovered from inside the left trainer.

Police officers also recovered the hunting knife from the bin. The knife contained DNA links to both Debella and the victim.

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

Debella had no previous convictions but according to Dr Melanie Higgins from Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, he is ‘exceptionally unwell, paranoid, delusional, perplexed and incongruous.’

After the proceedings, 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.’