Man tried to save woman after 'senseless' stabbing
Family handoutA man has told a court how he tried to save a woman who was stabbed 18 times in a "senseless attack" as she waited for a bus in north London.
Jala Debella, 22, is accused of killing Anita Mukhey, 66, in May 2024 - just an hour after receiving a hunting knife through the post which he had ordered online.
The Old Bailey heard from eyewitnesses who allegedly saw Debella, described in court as a "gore video fanatic", attack Mukhey.
The stabbing, on Edgware Road, happened shortly before midday, and despite the efforts of the public and emergency services, Mukhey died at the scene.
Debella is too unwell to attend the hearing, the jury was told, and they must instead determine whether he committed the acts alleged against him in what is known as a "trial of issue".
The court previously heard that Debella had been living in Colindale, north-west London, in a residential home supporting people with mental health problems.
Witness Stefan Dennis said he was walking in the area when he heard "screaming and shouting" and tried to help after he "saw a lady drop to the floor".
"There was a lot of chaos. He [the accused] was normal considering people were shouting and screaming and putting a lot of attention in his direction."
He told police at the time: "It was like he was vacant and just going about his day. I remember thinking he didn't seem to be of sound mind, as if he was on drugs."
Dennis ran to a nearby climbing centre to find a first aid kit and administered CPR until paramedics arrived, but she died at 12:22 BST.
"I did the best I could do," he said.
Nadine Agbedetse also witnessed the attack and initially believed the commotion was simply two teenagers arguing.
She went to her balcony to tell them to stop and saw Mukhey fall to the ground.
Agbedetse described the accused as then "sauntering away" from the scene.
"When I yelled stop, he looked up at me and I looked back at him. He continued walking; there was no deliberate rush or fast pace."
'Blood on knife'
Another witness became tearful as she told the jury the she saw a man "pulling and punching" a woman after stepping out of the New Image Hair Salon.
Nicole Rosa said: "When he turned, I saw the knife. Everything stopped when I saw the knife… from a distance it looked like a kitchen knife. There was a red line on it.
"It wasn't punches – he was actually stabbing her. He seemed calm, he was just walking off."
The court previously heard that three days before the killing, Debella had successfully ordered a hunting knife with a sheath online.
The knife was delivered at 10:44 BST, almost exactly an hour before the first 999 call about the attack on Mukhey.
Police later recovered an identical blade from a bin where the defendant was seen throwing something away, jurors were told.
The hearing continues.
Trials of the facts
If, based on medical evidence, a court determines a person is unfit to stand trial, then criminal proceedings cannot proceed.
The prosecution has the option to have the matter heard as a "trial of the facts", which takes the place of a criminal trial.
It is a public hearing to determine whether an accused committed the acts alleged.
It cannot result in a conviction, but if the court is not satisfied that the accused committed the acts alleged, then he/she will be acquitted.
The prosecution puts its evidence against the defendant before a judge and jury, in a courtroom, in a similar way to a normal criminal trial.
However, the accused does not play a part in proceedings as such. They do not necessarily even need to be in court.
They will be represented by a legal team and their lawyers can question the witnesses, challenge the evidence and make legal submissions on their behalf.
Unlike in a criminal trial, the jury is not required to return a verdict of guilty or not guilty but to decide whether or not the accused committed the offence.
The focus is on what they are alleged to have physically done - not their state of mind at the time.
In a normal criminal trial, a jury would be invited to decide whether or not a defendant had the mental faculties required to be guilty of the offence as well.
The standard of proof remains the same - a jury must be sure beyond all reasonable doubt that the accused committed the acts alleged.
The accused can't be convicted but they can be acquitted if the jury decide they didn't commit the acts alleged.
If it is found an accused committed the offence the court has the option of making a number of treatment orders, mainly designed to protect the public.
An individual can be committed to hospital, they can be subject to a guardianship order or they can be subject to a supervision and treatment order.
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