Man jailed for at least 40 years for sword murder of London boy Daniel Anjorin
A man has been jailed for at least 40 years for the 'wicked' murder of the schoolboy Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in east London.
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, fatally slashed Daniel with a samurai sword minutes after the 14-year-old left his home in Hainault on 30 April last year.
In a televised sentencing, Mr Justice Bennathan jailed Monzo for life with a minimum term of 40 years for murder, and for attacking three other members of the public and two police officers.
The judge described a 'peaceful, busy scene' being 'devastated as members of the public were attacked, police officers were gravely injured, a couple were terrified in their own home, and a clever, talented, much-loved young boy was killed by a savage blow with a sword. You, Marcos Arduini Monzo, did all of that.'
Earlier, Daniel's father, Ebenezer Anjorin, had condemned Monzo's 'wicked' actions and described losing his son as his 'worst nightmare'.
Speaking publicly about it for the first time, Anjorin described the moment he saw his fatally injured son lying in the street. '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 of blood and had a deep cut to his face running from the side of his mouth to the back of his neck. He was motionless. I knew at once that he was dead, but I reached down, called his name and held his head.'
After a few minutes, he said, he called Daniel's mother, who screamed and cried when she arrived home and saw paramedics trying to resuscitate her son, who died later in hospital.
Anjorin said he could not begin to describe the 'pain and anguish' the family felt at losing Daniel, who was academically gifted and enjoyed sports and music.
'We will not see him get married or have children. All the normal things parents hope for their children. All these hopes and aspirations have been cruelly snatched away from us through the wicked actions of Marcus Monzo. 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. No family should have to go through this.'
In his sentencing, Bennathan said the police officers involved 'behaved with exemplary courage and put their lives on the line to protect the public they served'. He also paid tribute to the 'calm dignified' manner of Daniel's relatives throughout the trial, and said no sentence would 'begin to temper' their grief.
Speaking outside court afterwards, the boy's parents, Grace and Ebenezer, agreed, saying: 'No verdict or sentence can bring back our son Daniel, who we loved so dearly, but we are grateful that justice has been served.'
They added: 'His life had so much potential ahead. He was gifted academically, was kind and had a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him … We honour Daniel's memory not in the shadow of this tragedy but through the love and happiness that he brought to us and all those who knew him.'
The court had heard Monzo drove his van into Donato Iwule, who ran away screaming as the attacker got out of the vehicle and came at him with a sword. Monzo then attacked Daniel from behind, causing unsurvivable neck injuries.
When PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield tried to detain Monzo, he repeatedly struck her with 'savage' blows, causing severe injuries. He burst into the home of Henry De Los Rios Polania and Sindy Arias, who had been asleep with their young child nearby. Insp Moloy Campbell cornered Monzo in a car park and ran in with his baton raised but was slashed on the hand.
Officers eventually detained the delivery driver, who had become psychotic after taking cannabis.
Afterwards, Monzo, who had viewed far-right and misogynistic content on social media, claimed to have an alternate persona of a 'professional assassin'.
A jury in his Old Bailey trial found Monzo guilty of Daniel's murder, and the attempted murder of Iwule, Arias and Mechem-Whitfield. He was convicted of wounding De Los Rios Polania and Campbell with intent. He was also convicted of aggravated burglary and having an article with a blade or point. He admitted possessing the samurai sword used to kill Daniel and a katana sword found in his van.
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