A sword attacker who murdered a 14-year-old schoolboy during a violent rampage that he compared to The Hunger Games has been found guilty of murder.
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, also injured five other people during his 20-minute spree of violence in Hainault, east London, while high on cannabis on 30 April last year.
He ambushed teenager Daniel Anjorin with a samurai sword as he walked to school with headphones in, the Old Bailey heard.
The killer, who had a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, also attacked a pedestrian, two police officers and a couple in their own home before being arrested.
Witnesses described the former Amazon delivery driver screaming “in delight” and smiling after mortally wounding Daniel.
The court heard it was “miraculous” that more people were not killed as Monzo slashed and chopped at whomever he came across.
Monzo, a Brazilian, mowed down a passer-by, Donato Iwule, with a van before killing Daniel, then went on to strike Metropolitan Police officer Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield three times with the sword as she chased him through alleyways.
He then entered a property and attacked a couple as they lay in bed, while their young daughter was sleeping in the next bedroom.
After once again escaping, he struck inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was arrested.
He had killed and skinned his pet cat, Wizard, before he ran amok.
Afterwards, he likened events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative personality of a “professional assassin”.
Monzo had admitted possessing two swords but denied murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.
As well as the murder conviction, the jury found him guilty of 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.
Daniel’s parents had sat in court throughout the trial when harrowing CCTV and police body-worn video had been played.
Jurors were shown footage of Monzo’s grey Ford Transit mounting the pavement and hitting Mr Iwule, who was “catapulted” into a nearby garden before the vehicle smashed into a concrete pillar and fence. Mr Iwule’s screams of agony were heard before the attacker got out, brandishing a large sword.
His victim told the Old Bailey that Monzo had been smiling while Mr Iwule repeated “I don’t know you,” to which the defendant replied: “I don’t care – I’m going to kill you.” He hit Mr Iwule in the neck with the sword before running away.
Monzo then drove a short distance down Laing Close before spotting Daniel walking to school at around 7am.
The schoolboy sustained a “devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury to the left hand side of his face and neck” from the sword, the prosecutor added.
He went on to inflict “significant injuries” to PC Mechem-Whitfield and attacked Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania in their bedroom while shouting, “Do you believe in God?”
He stopped only after their four-year-old child woke up and began to cry, before leaving the property through the front door and being backed into a corner by the police.
During his police interview, Monzo claimed his personality had switched and that “something happened, like a game happening”.
At his trial, he 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 described being bullied growing up in Brazil before his family moved to Britain in 2013.
In recent years, he had travelled for extended periods to Brazil and India, and also attended breatharian festivals in Italy and Denmark, which promote living without food, jurors were told.
Monzo said that on his return to the UK, he argued with family members because he was “not very clean”.
The defendant told the court that he began drinking his own urine for “cleaning” purposes.
He added: “I would use it to shower, on the hair, even using it on the nose.”
He said he had no memory of what happened on the day he went on the rampage, claiming his mental state had diminished his responsibility for the crimes.
However, the prosecution argued that psychosis brought on by self-induced intoxication was no defence for murder.
Monzo, who showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out, had previously admitted having the samurai sword used to kill Daniel and a katana sword found in his van.
He will be sentenced on Friday, the court heard.
Kirsty O’Connor, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Our hearts go out to Daniel Anjorin’s family and friends who have suffered his unimaginable loss in horrific circumstances, and our thoughts remain with all of the victims who continue to recover from their injuries and trauma.”
Paying tribute to the police officers and emergency workers who faced Monzo on that day, she said: “The courage shown by PC Mechem-Whitfield, PC King, Inspector Campbell and others who selflessly sought to apprehend Arduini-Monzo whilst facing extreme personal danger was exceptional and undoubtedly prevented further loss of life.
“We all owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor, said the challenge for prosecutors was proving that Monzo’s mental state was the result of cannabis misuse, not an underlying mental health condition.
