Key Points
- Jala Debella, 24, a paranoid schizophrenic, fatally stabbed medical secretary Anita Mukhey, 66, 18 times at a bus stop in Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, north London, on May 9, 2024, at about 11.50am.
- Debella walked “casually” away after the attack as passers-by rushed to help Ms Mukhey.
- At the Old Bailey on Friday, January 23, 2026, Debella received a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41, allowing indefinite detention.
- Debella was obsessed with gory online videos, bought a hunting knife online an hour before the attack, and had searched for “killing video” beforehand.
- The knife, identical to the one purchased, was recovered with DNA from both Debella and Ms Mukhey.
- Debella lived in a CQC-registered mental health residential home in Colindale but was deemed psychologically stable despite escalating behaviour.
- Ms Mukhey’s husband Hari described her as the “centre of our home” and noted “her absence has left silence that nothing can fill.”
- Family questioned mental health risk assessments and online weapon purchases.
- Judge Philip Katz KC addressed an empty dock, calling Ms Mukhey “the heart of the family.”
- Debella to be admitted to Ashworth High Secure Hospital; prior detentions under Mental Health Act.
- Police praised family dignity and public helpers; CQC stated services not under regulation.
- Inquest into Ms Mukhey’s death opened and adjourned.
Edgware (Cardiff Daily) January 23, 2026 – A paranoid schizophrenic who stabbed grandmother Anita Mukhey to death at a bus stop has been detained indefinitely under hospital and restriction orders at the Old Bailey.
Jala Debella, 24, attacked the 66-year-old medical secretary 18 times in front of shocked passers-by in Burnt Oak Broadway at about 11.50am on May 9, 2024. He then walked casually away as members of the public rushed to aid Ms Mukhey, who later died from her injuries.
Who Was Sentenced and What Was the Outcome?
At a hearing on Friday, Judge Philip Katz KC addressed an empty dock, as Debella was not present in court. As reported by the PA News Agency, Judge Katz stated: “Anita Mukhey was the heart of the family. She was a wife, mother and grandmother, aged 66 when she was stabbed to death by a complete stranger on a busy main road in north London.”
Debella was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41. This means he can be detained indefinitely in a secure facility. Dr Melanie Higgins, Debella’s medical consultant, confirmed he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and has been detained under the Mental Health Act on at least three prior occasions. Arrangements have been made for his continued admission at Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Merseyside.
What Happened During the Attack?
CCTV footage captured Debella walking north in Edgware Road, past a bus stop, before returning to Burnt Oak Broadway where he attacked Ms Mukhey. Thirty seconds later, she collapsed in the road, with the first 999 call made at 11.48am. A knife identical to one Debella bought online was recovered, bearing forensic evidence of DNA from both Debella and Ms Mukhey.
As detailed in court proceedings reported by the PA News Agency, the attack mirrored violence from gory online videos Debella had viewed. Before the incident, he searched his computer for “killing video” and visited a website with graphic violent content. The hunting knife was delivered to his Colindale residential home about an hour prior.
Why Was Debella Living in the Community?
During a trial of issue—held after Debella was deemed unfit to stand trial for murder—the court heard he resided in a Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered mental health rehabilitation home in Colindale, north London. Despite this, he purchased the knife online and engaged in escalating behaviour, including researching extreme violence.
Ms Mukhey’s family, in a statement read after the jury found Debella committed the act of killing, raised concerns. As reported by the PA News Agency, they said: “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.”
They questioned the disconnect in risk assessments and why he could buy weapons online while in a staffed home. Judge Katz noted he expressed no opinion on the “safety of the regime” at the home but added: “No doubt others will consider it, hopefully soon.”
Jonathan Polnay KC, prosecuting, informed the court that an inquest into Ms Mukhey’s death has been opened and adjourned.
What Did the Victim’s Family Say?
In a statement read to the court, Ms Mukhey’s husband Hari described her as the “centre of our home.” As per the PA News Agency report, Mr Mukhey said: “Her absence has left silence that nothing can fill.” He thanked “brave members of the public” who aided his wife but noted the trial forced him to confront “deeply troubling” facts about psychological assessments of her killer.
The family’s post-jury statement, as covered by the PA News Agency, highlighted: “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.” They specifically queried weapon purchases in a CQC-registered setting.
What Is the Police Response?
Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila from Scotland Yard said, as reported by the PA News Agency: “While necessary to protect the public, today’s outcome offers little comfort to Anita’s family who are left without a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother. I want to recognise the dignity and courage they have shown over the past 20 months.”
He added:
“I also want to thank the members of the public who tried to help Anita that day, the witnesses who came forward and the first responders. Your actions, your compassion and your evidence truly mattered.”
Police images showed officers speaking to witnesses near the Edgware scene shortly after the stabbing.
What Is the CQC’s Position?
Chris Badger, chief inspector of adult social care for the CQC, responded to the tragedy. As quoted by the PA News Agency: “We extend our condolences to the family of Anita Mukhey. Where care is being provided that falls into what are known as ‘regulated activities’, CQC regulates that provider.”
He clarified: “While this organisation has registered with CQC, having engaged with the police and with the care home at the time of this appalling incident, the services being provided at the time did not fall into CQC’s scope of regulation and their registration was made dormant. As the services provided did not come under CQC’s regulatory powers, we would not be able to formally pursue this matter or comment on the details of this tragic case.”
A Metropolitan Police handout image showed Ms Mukhey, underscoring the personal loss in this public attack.
This case has sparked debate on mental health oversight, online weapon sales, and community safety measures. With Debella’s indefinite detention, focus now shifts to inquiries into the care home and broader systemic reviews. The full impact on Ms Mukhey’s family endures, as they navigate profound grief amid calls for reform.
