Derbyshire PoliceAn asylum seeker who “calmly” walked into a bank and stabbed a man inside to death without provocation or motive has been jailed for life.
Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur stabbed Gurvinder Johal, 37, through the heart in an attack caught on CCTV at a Lloyds Bank branch in St Peter’s Street, Derby, just after 14:30 BST on 6 May.
Mr Johal’s family said Nur – who Derby Crown Court heard arrived on small boat in the UK after spending a few years in Europe – was a “coward and demon” who had robbed his three young children of their innocence.
On Wednesday, Nur was jailed for at least 25 years.
Family handoutThe court heard Nur, who arrived in the UK in October 2024, had previously spent time in Italy, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Sentencing Nur, Judge Shaun Smith said: “You murdered [Mr Johal] in broad daylight in front of members of the public.
“What you did, armed with a knife, was randomly select Mr Johal and plunge it into his chest – a man you never knew. It was a brutal and callous act.
“This was a real-life horror film for everyone connected to Mr Johal and those who witnessed this.”
Nur’s asylum application was rejected by the Home Office in January 2025, and he was in the process of appealing against the decision when the murder took place, the court heard.
Louis Mably KC, for the prosecution, read a victim impact statement written by Mr Johal’s sister on behalf of the family.
‘Pain and destruction’
In it, she said: “To us and to God, he was simply a good man, our Gurvinder, our light.
“This didn’t just change our lives, they have been shattered… we are suffocated by a silence so loud it hurts.
“This is a life sentence of grief… [in Nur], we see nothing more than a coward and a demon.
“The person will never understand the pain and destruction they have caused – they are nothing.
“The light in our family has been extinguished… the deepest wound is the impact on the children, they had their innocence stolen.”
The statement continued and stated Mr Johal’s children have said “a monster took daddy away”.
Mr Johal’s family urged for Nur to serve his sentence in the UK, rather than being deported.
Nur had no previous convictions in the UK, but was arrested in Derby on 13 December 2024 following an argument with a man.
The court heard Nur “ran into traffic”, headbutted a man and called English people “white racists”.
Nur, who the court was told had consumed three bottles of vodka and 10 beers on the day of the killing, had been in contact with a charity that helps migrants.
In a number of calls which started in the morning and into the early afternoon, Nur was aggressive and made threats to take his own life and to kill other people.
The court heard Nur “felt like he was living like an animal” and felt he was not being supported and had mental health issues.
“He was heard wailing and was warned about his behaviour,” Mr Mably KC said.
‘Moment of confusion’
He added: “Nur got up and walked into the bank. What happened inside was seen by a number of customers and bank staff and captured on CCTV.
“He approached him, produced a knife and without warning or provocation and with no time to react, he stabbed him forcefully in the chest.
“No-one saw this stabbing until after it happened and there was a moment of confusion as to what had happened.
“The defendant himself simply turned around and calmly walked out of the bank. The calmness of his exit was noted by others in the bank and that added to the confusion as to what had happened.”
Mr Johal collapsed on to the ground with the knife still in his chest. Bank staff called 999. Despite attempts to revive him, Mr Johal was pronounced dead at the scene at 15:16.
The court heard Nur was inside the bank for no more than 22 seconds.
He arrived home just before 15:00, and paramedics arrived at his address following the calls he made to the migrant helpline and the threats to take his own life.
He told them he was frustrated and now he had sobered up, he had no intention of taking his own life or hurting people.
Leave a Reply