Life imprisonment for Derby bank murderer

A man who stabbed a stranger to death in a city centre bank has been jailed for life for his murder.

Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur walked into a branch of Lloyds Bank on 6 May and, without warning, stabbed Gurvinder Johal in the chest before walking calmly out of the bank. Mr Johal, known to his close friends as Danny, collapsed and, despite efforts to save him, died at the scene.

Nur, 47, from Western Road, Derby, had entered the country to apply for asylum. He had learned shortly before the murder that his application had been refused and his right to work restricted. On the day of the killing, he had been in phone contact with support services for asylum seekers and had been expressing distress at his situation.

Nur was identified as the attacker from CCTV and arrested at home that evening. He was charged with Mr Johal’s murder and pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court on 21 August. He was today, 29 October, sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.

Sam Shallow of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Gurvinder Johal’s sudden death as he went about his everyday business left a family in mourning and a community in shock.

“This was an inexplicable crime. Mr Johal was a complete stranger to the defendant and there was no reason for him to have been targeted in this way.

“My thoughts are with Mr Johal’s family and friends as they come to terms with their loss.” 

Building the case: proving murder

Before Nur pleaded guilty to murder, prosecutors had to prove that he was the person caught on CCTV carrying out the attack. Extensive work was conducted by the Police and methodically pieced together in the prosecution case.  Minute by minute CCTV evidence pulled together from multiple sources showed the Defendant walking directly from his home address to Lloyds Bank in Derby city centre, and back again. Nur’s DNA was found on the handle of the knife used in the attack and he was wearing distinctive clothing that was recovered from his home.

Prosecutors examined his movements in detail and the calls made to the various agencies on the day of the attack. His demeanour and behaviour in these contacts with the various agencies were evidence that Nur was in control of his actions and had formed the intent to kill. Nur purposely took a knife to the scene and made the decision to launch a fatal attack on a person not known to him.