Father describes ‘worst nightmare' of finding son in pool of blood after Hainault sword attack as killer jailed for 40 years

Independent

2 days ago

A father has recalled the moment he found his son lying in a pool of blood after he was murdered with a samurai sword in an unprovoked attack as his killer was jailed for at least 40 years.
Kind and thoughtful Daniel Anjorin, 14, was walking to school in his PE kit when he was ambushed by Marcus Arduini Monzo during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London.
The 37-year-old killer was high on cannabis and in a drug-fuelled psychosis during the spree, which also left five people wounded.
Wearing a green jumper and grey prison-issue tracksuit, Monzo stared straight ahead as he was sentenced to life in prison. Less time already served on remand, he will serve a minimum of 38 years and 309 days before he is eligible for parole.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told Monzo that the peaceful, busy scene as people left for work and school on the morning of 30 April last year was 'devastated' by his actions after he arrived in a 'clearly psychotic state'.
'A clever, talented and much-loved young boy was killed by a savage blow with a sword,' he said. 'You, Marcus Arduini Monzo, did that.'
Daniel's father, Dr Ebenezer Anjorin, told the Old Bailey on Friday the talented schoolboy set off at 7am, but within 15 minutes he was told by his eldest son that Daniel had been stabbed near their home.
'I ran outside of the house and just across the road I saw a hunched-up body by the side on the road,' he recalled in a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Tom Little KC.
'I did not realise that it was Daniel at first but as I got closer, I recognised the school sports clothes and saw his face.'
He was 'lying in a pool blood' and had a 'deep cut' to the side of his face, he said.
'He was motionless,' the father said. 'I knew at once he was dead. I reached out and called his name and held his head.'
When Daniel's mother arrived at the scene and saw paramedics working on her son, she screamed and cried, he added.
Paying tribute to the 'much loved son and brother', who leaves behind an older brother and younger sister, the grieving father added: 'It has been the worst nightmare experience of our lives to have to go through the pain of losing a child in such a cruel and savage way.'
The father said he will never see Daniel, who was a gifted student who enjoyed sports and played the violin and piano, take his exams and go to university.
'Daniel had so much potential to excel in so many areas, he could have been a great scientist, financier, or business founder,' the father said.
'We will not see him get married or have children. All the normal things that parents hope for their children.
'All these hopes and aspirations have been cruelly snatched away from us through the wicked actions of Marcus Monzo.'
Dr Anjorin said Monzo was a "danger to society" and had shown no remorse or apologised for his actions.
He added that the "completely random, savage attack" on a school child had "shocked the community and the whole country".
Monzo, who had a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, also attacked a pedestrian, two police officers and a couple in their own home in the horrifying spree.
Mr Little KC previously told jurors it was 'miraculous' that more people were not killed as Monzo slashed and chopped at those he came across.
The trial heard Monzo had killed and skinned his pet cat, Wizard, and mowed down passer-by Donato Iwule with a van before attacking Daniel, who was walking to school with his headphones in at around 7am.
Witness Maria Olmos said Monzo dropped to his knees and held his hands up after he inflicted the mortal wounds on the unsuspecting teenager, who was a devoted Arsenal fan.
'At the time of doing so he let out an extremely loud scream,' she said. 'It wasn't a scream of pain, it was a scream of delight – my interpretation was he was celebrating.'
Metropolitan Police officer Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield was struck three times with the sword and suffered significant injuries as she pursued him through alleyways. He then burst into a property and attacked a couple as they lay in bed, while shouting: 'Do you believe in God?'
After once again escaping, he struck inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was finally arrested.
Afterwards, he likened events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative personality of a 'professional assassin'.
In statements read to the court, Mr Iwule revealed he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks and is afraid to revisit the scene of the attack near Hainault station.
PC Mechem-Whitfield has undergone four operations but is still unable to return to her work as a police officer.
Inspector Campbell, who read a victim personal statement from the witness box, said the memory of hearing the radio transmission 'police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed' still makes him shiver. He has not regained complete movement and feeling in his hand.
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Bennathan praised the bravery of the officers, adding: "All the police officers behaved with exemplary courage and put their lives on the line to protect the public they served."
The Brazilian national had admitted to possessing two swords but insisted he had no memory of what happened and claimed his mental state had diminished his responsibility for the crimes.
Jurors at the Old Bailey this week found him guilty of murder, three counts of attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possessing a bladed article.
He was cleared of one count of attempted murder but found guilty of the lesser offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Giving evidence in his three-week trial, Monzo told jurors he believed the Earth was flat and the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States was 'probably' a conspiracy.
He said his views were largely formed after he visited India and started consuming the hallucinogenic tea, ayahuasca, and cannabis. But no trace of DMT – the class-A drug in the tea – was detected in his system.
Monzo, who liked to drink and wash in his own urine, described being bullied growing up in Brazil before his family moved to Britain in 2013.