The footage is stark: a quiet afternoon shattered in a bustling bank. Police bodycam recordings captured the moment Haybe Cabdiraxmaan Nur, 47, was roused from his bed and taken into custody – the culmination of a hunt for the man who brutally ended the life of 37-year-old Gurvinder Singh Johal, known to friends as Danny.
Danny Johal was simply a man on an errand, heading to Lloyds Bank to collect funds for the staff of his Indian restaurant, the Hen and Chickens. He was a father, a friend, a pillar of his community in West Bromwich, living with his wife, children, and extended family. His ordinary day was irrevocably altered by a single, senseless act of violence.
The attack unfolded with chilling speed. CCTV showed Nur entering the bank, moving deliberately through the queue of customers. He approached Danny, who was FaceTiming a friend, and without warning, plunged a knife into his chest. A witness reported seeing the blade protruding from Danny’s chest, hearing his desperate, bewildered question: “Why?”
Nur’s actions were described by the judge as a “brutal and callous act,” a “real-life horror film” unfolding before the eyes of innocent bystanders. He had entered the UK illegally months prior, arriving in a small boat and having his asylum claim rejected. The killing was random, a horrific selection of an unsuspecting man going about his daily life.
After the stabbing, Nur calmly walked out of the bank, just 22 seconds after entering. He made his way to a shopping centre and then home, arriving shortly before 3 pm. His behavior in custody was described as “erratic,” yet he was deemed to have full mental capacity.
The prosecution revealed Nur had consumed a staggering amount of alcohol – three bottles of vodka and ten bottles of beer – before producing the knife from his waistband. He later admitted to the act, though his defense suggested a possible lack of recollection.
Nur’s past revealed a life marked by trauma. He had fled Somalia in 2016, seeking refuge in Europe before arriving in the UK in September 2024. He was known to police in four European countries and carried the weight of witnessing an “honor killing” of his wife in his homeland.
Despite the tragic circumstances of his own life, the judge emphasized that nothing could excuse the senseless taking of Danny Johal’s life. The court acknowledged the bravery of members of the public who attempted to help Danny in his final moments, awarding them High Sheriff’s Awards for their courage.
