A ‘gore video’ fanatic who stabbed a grandmother to death with a hunting knife watched videos of beheadings in the days leading up to the attack, a court has heard.
Jalal Debella, 24, allegedly wandered out of his rehabilitation home and repeatedly knifed 66-year-old medical secretary Anita Mukhey at a north-west London bus stop on May 9, 2024.
He had bought the 7.5in weapon with sheaf online – which was delivered a little over an hour before the killing, the Old Bailey heard.
Debella has been charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon – but was found unfit to stand trial due to his ‘disability’ and being too unwell to attend court.
Jonathan Polnay, KC, prosecuting, said the killer inflicted around 18 separate injuries with the hunting knife, including wounds to Ms Mukhey’s heart and lungs.
Debella also had a ‘particular interest in very violent videos’, Mr Polnay added.
Jurors were shown extracts of Debella’s 3,115 google searches between May 6 and May 9 – including ‘killing videos’ online.
The website featured ‘gore videos and pictures updated in real time… men and women die by accident, murder, suicide, beheading, dismemberment’, and had issued a warning from the owner.
Jalal Debella, 24, allegedly wandered out of his rehabilitation home and repeatedly knifed a medical secretary at a northwest London bus stop on May 9, 2024. He is pictured here on CCTV after leaving Meridan House
Anita Mukhey, 66, was found with around 18 separate injuries, including wounds to her heart and lungs
It read: ‘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 while also taking time to watch videos on YouTube featuring American rapper Travis Scott.
Jurors were told of 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 a gore video website several times before leaving Meridan house at 11.23am.
At 11.46 footage shows him sitting on a bench outside Atholl House before getting up and walking to the bus-stop shortly before he stabs Ms Mukhey in front of onlookers.
Witness Stefan Dennis said she had heard people screaming and cars beeping as the attack unfolded in front of her.
Debella returned to Meridan House and was soon back on his computer, visiting the Cold Steel knife and tool company, the court heard
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 CPS until police and paramedics arrived but she died within an hour of the attack.
Debella returned to Meridan House and was soon back on his computer, visiting another knife website, the court heard.
He later left Merdian House wearing different clothing and was seen carrying a black bin bag before making his way to a bin store and then returning to search for gore videos and ‘breaking news’.
Police arrived at Meridan House at 4.46pm the same day, with an officer recognising 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 Mr Mukhey than an ‘unknown and unrelated individual’.
Debella’s DNA profile was also recovered from inside the left trainer.
Police officers found the hunting knife in the bin, which contained DNA links to both Debella and the victim.
Judge Philip Katz, KC, sent the jury out to consider whether Debella had committed the alleged acts, namely murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
Debella was deemed too unwell to attend court.
