A man armed with a large sword murdered a boy who was on his way to school and attempted to kill four others in a “brutal” early morning series of attacks, a jury has heard.
Marcus Monzo, 37, denies all charges including the murder of Daniel Anjorin, 14, in Hainault, east London, in April 2024. The Old Bailey was told that at the time of the 20-minute rampage, Monzo had a psychotic disorder triggered by cannabis use.
During the string of attacks he moved like a “predator” intent on killing as many people as possible, the court heard. He attacked a couple with a young child in their home, and police officers who tried to detain him were slashed at and injured.
Opening the case, Tom Little KC said: “This case involves a brutal string of attacks with murderous intent primarily committed with the use of a large sword. It occurred over a period of only about 20 minutes, early in the morning of 30 April last year … The prosecution say that there was a clear intention to kill a number of people that morning on the defendant’s part. It did not matter who they were, or indeed how old they were.”
The jury was shown the sword used in the incidents, with a curved blade 60cm in length.
Monzo, who knew none of the victims, came across Daniel moments after he left his home wearing headphones at about 7am, the court heard.
Little said: “He was just 14 years of age at the time. He had left home and was simply walking to school, minding his own business, no doubt looking forward to the day ahead when he was killed by the defendant.
“His life was snuffed out in an instant. In fact most accurately he was slain by the defendant with the use of this sword … The force used was extreme. It involved a devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury to the left-hand side of Daniel’s face and neck.”
The violence started just before 7am when Monzo drove into someone with his van, the jury heard. The victim, Donato Iwule, who was on his way to work, was hit with such force he was catapulted into a nearby garden, the court was told, and he was then attacked with the sword.
The jury saw and heard video footage from doorbell cameras that captured the victim’s scream, and were told he said to his attacker: “I don’t know you,” with Monzo replying: “I don’t care, I will kill you.”
Monzo clutched the sword in both hands and swung it at Iwule, who survived after fleeing with the defendant chasing him, the jury heard.
Little alleged that Monzo then attacked police officers including PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield, who was struck three times and suffered significant injuries.
The violence continued, the court heard, with Monzo breaking into a house where a couple and their child were asleep. Little said: “They were spared only because the four-year-old woke up and started crying.”
At one point Monzo came face to face with a woman, and stood on her foot, but she escaped, the jury heard. He also called the fire brigade during the rampage, the court was told.
Little told the jury: “There is no issue then that it was that man in the dock that carried out that string of attacks and who killed Daniel Anjorin and seriously injured a number of others. What you have to decide is very largely as straightforward as why he did so and what his state of mind was at the material time.
“The prosecution case is that this is a clear case of murder and that it is also a clear case of four attempted murders. We say that the defendant’s conduct was brought about by self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs. This, we say, led to a psychotic disorder.”
He added: “The defence case is that the defendant was most likely suffering from a pre-existing condition … which created a vulnerability to experiencing psychotic episodes with schizophrenia-like symptoms, prompted by his use of cannabis.”
Monzo denies murdering Daniel and attempting to murder Iwule, Mechem-Whitfield, and Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania, whose home he denies breaking into in an alleged act of aggravated burglary. He also denies wounding with intent Insp Moloy Campbell, and possession of two swords and a kitchen knife.
The case continues.