Hainault trial latest: Marcus Monzo to be sentenced for sword attack that killed Daniel Anjorin, 14

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a day ago

Young daughter waiting for therapy after parents attacked by Monzo
Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania were attacked by Marcus Monzo in their home as they slept.
Henry used his arm to block Monzo's sword as he swung it towards Sindy causing him serious harm.
Their daughter, aged four at the time, was in the house as the attack happened, and the court heard how her cries may have prevented Monzo from causing further harm.
They've both given separate statements to the court.
Sindy said their daughter still asks "difficult questions" for her age and struggles to sleep. She is on the waiting list for therapy.
Her relationship with Henry has been "impacted by the trauma", and they were hit by unexpected costs in the wake of the attack.
She asks the court to consider their "painful and destabilising experience" when passing sentence.
'Learning to live again'
Henry said he is still waiting for surgeries just to regain basic function of his hand.
In the meantime, he's been unable to return to work, losing his burgeoning IT business - which "devastated" him both financially and emotionally.
Even tasks such as trying to tie his shoelaces can be frustrating, if not impossible.
"I stand here not just as a victim, but as a survivor learning how to live again," he said.
Some days are "better than others", but he is "still here", after finding strength he "didn't know" he had.
And he hopes justice today reflects the long-lasting damage done to him.
Survivor told he could have died in less than a minute - cousin's words saved him
Donato Iwule was the first person to be attacked during Marcus Monzo's 20-minute rampage.
He was on his way to work when Monzo drove his grey Ford Transit van into him at speed.
His victim impact statement has just been read out in court, during which he detailed the physical pain he still feels.
This week, Iwule told our correspondent Ashna Hurynag he remembered being "on the floor" for a short time, then looking up to see Monzo.
"I saw this guy and I went to him, I said: 'are you okay?' He didn't talk to me. He was angry and said: 'I need to kill'. I was like, 'huh?'
"I said to him: 'are you okay?' Then the next thing I saw was a samurai sword... I took a step back and said: 'what are you doing? Hello?' And he was like: 'I'm going to kill you, yeah, yeah'."
Iwule said he then got to his feet and tried to move away as Monzo began swinging his sword.
"He came again, and that's when I turned my eye, to see where I am, in case there were two or three [other attackers].
"I looked at my back for a split second and I saw out of the corner of my eye, he was trying to swing.
"So I, kind of, moved back and this way he caught me right in my neck.
"When he caught me, straight away I panicked for a couple of seconds."
Fortunately, Iwule said he recalled the advice his cousin, a doctor, once gave about injuries - to use the thumb and jumpers to put pressure on the wound and stem the bleeding.
He said hospital staff later told him he could have died in less than a minute due to the severity of his injuries.
"He thought that he won, but he didn't," he added, speaking about Monzo.
"I was supposed to be dead."
Daniel Anjorin's family condemn 'danger to society' Monzo
We've just heard a statement from Daniel Anjorin's family, which was read out by the prosecution.
The 14-year-old was murdered by Marcus Monzo, who swung his sword at his neck as the teenager was walking to school.
His family said nobody should have to lose their child in this way, and the "scale of the savagery" of the attack shocked the whole country.
Monzo is a "danger to society", they said, as they asked the court not to forget who the victims are.
Daniel had "so much to live for and is missed by family and friends", the statement added.
What we expect to hear today - and when
Proceedings are under way, but we won't hear the judge's sentencing just yet.
The court will first hear submissions from the prosecution around sentencing guidelines, before the defence offers its mitigation to try to minimise Marcus Monzo's jail time.
We also expect to hear six victim impact statements before the court breaks for lunch.
When they return, at 2pm, the judge will then pass sentence.
Welcome to our live coverage
We're set up at the Old Bailey, where Marcus Monzo will find out his sentence this afternoon.
The 37-year-old was found guilty of murdering Daniel Anjorin, 14, while the teenager was walking to school on 30 April last year.
The jury reached its verdict on Wednesday.
Monzo went on a 20-minute rampage on a street in Hainault, east London, during which he attacked several others.
The court heard it was a "miracle" he didn't kill anyone else - though he was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder.
Stay with us for the latest from the courtroom.
Monzo found guilty of murdering teenager Daniel Anjorin
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, has been found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin with a samurai sword as he walked to school in east London.
The 37-year-old nearly decapitated Daniel and attacked five others during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault on 30 April last year.
Prosecutors said he skinned and deboned his pet cat Wizard before trying "to kill as many people as he could" while under the influence of cannabis.
He will be sentenced on Friday - we'll update you with his prison term then.
Recap: What we learned as proceedings finish for the day
The jury has been dismissed and won't be brought back to court until tomorrow, when the trial resumes.
Until then, here is a quick recap of what we heard today - but be advised that some of these details may be distressing: The prosecution continued its case against Marcus Arduini Monzo, whom they accuse of killing 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin;
It spoke to witnesses of the attack itself, as well as running through CCTV it alleged showed Monzo carrying a sword;
At times, Monzo buried his head in his hands in court, looking to the ground as details of the attack were heard;
One woman described the moment a man stabbed Daniel, her neighbour, in the back, when he was on the ground;
Another witness told the court he saw a man come out of a bush muttering words like: "You're going to die";
The jury was also played an emergency 999 call, made during the attack;
Monzo was allegedly, one witness said, "running around like a maniac", with a sword, the court heard;
The court also heard from a man hit by a van, allegedly driven by Monzo;
Our correspondent Mollie Malone was in court as well, and she described a video that showed Monzo unboxing a sword - saying that Monzo hid his face while it was played,
The court will return tomorrow, to hear from more witnesses.
'Daniel fell to the floor': Witness tells court she saw swordsman's attack
We're now hearing from the final witness of today's proceedings.
Aiste Dabasinskaite described how she got so close to an individual carrying a sword that they stepped on her foot before she fled and called the police.
However, after hanging up, she told the court she saw the man approach Daniel, strike him with a sword, then stab him in the back when he was on the ground.
How witness spoke to police
As Dabasinskaite was getting ready to leave her house, shortly before 7am, she saw a grey van pull up outside.
Once outside, she had a run-in with the swordsman, before running further down the road, where she said she was approached by a man speaking to 999, who handed her a phone, asking where they were.
She spoke to the emergency services - a call we reported on earlier (see post at 15.01).
Moment she saw sword attack on Daniel
After calling the police, she said: "I had just come off the phone to police, as I looked up, I saw the man following Daniel and then he struck him… with a sword.
"I believe with his right hand in a downwards motion.
"Daniel fell to the floor."
As the witness gave evidence, Monzo buried his head in his hands, looking at the floor.
Dabasinskaite said: "I saw him stab the sword into Daniel's back."
She was about 10 metres away as she saw this happen, she told the court.
Court back in session
The barristers and the judge have returned to the courtroom and so have the jury, with proceedings back under way.
Court breaks
We'll bring you more updates from the trial shortly, when the jury returns and the prosecution continues with its questions.
We expect the court to return at 15.20.