Man, 22, charged with murder after fatal stabbing in north London

Jalal Debella, 22, has been charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Police speak to members of the public at a bus stop near to the scene where a woman in her 60s was fatally stabbed (Samuel Montgomery/PA) (PA Wire)

A man has been charged with the murder of a 66-year-old woman in north London, police have said.

The woman died after being stabbed in Burnt Oak Broadway, near the junction of Limesdale Gardens, in Edgware on Thursday.

Jalal Debella, 22, will appear on Saturday May 11 at Willesden Magistrates’ Court charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon, the Metropolitan Police said.

Debella was arrested on suspicion of murder in the Colindale area on Thursday.

In graphic footage seen by the PA news agency, members of the public can be seen rushing to the woman’s aid in the aftermath of the stabbing.

A family has been left devastated by this shocking attack and my thoughts are with them at this unimaginably difficult time

Superintendent Tony Bellis

The woman can be seen lying motionless and unresponsive in the middle of the road.

A group of people surround her trying to stem the bleeding with gauze from a first aid box, garments and towels.

“Darling, are you here? Can you hear me?” someone asks the woman as the crowd urgently phone the emergency services.

Others manage the traffic, gesturing for cars to slow down and move around the scene.

Land and air ambulance officers treated the woman for stab injuries but she died at the scene.

Speaking on Friday, Superintendent Tony Bellis from the North West Command Unit, responsible for policing Edgware, said: “A family has been left devastated by this shocking attack and my thoughts are with them at this unimaginably difficult time.

“Local people will notice an increased police presence in the area in the coming days to provide reassurance.

“If you have concerns or just want to speak with officers, please do approach them as they patrol.”