A martial arts enthusiast who murdered a 14-year-old schoolboy and attacked police officers and members of the public in a samurai sword rampage through London’s streets is facing life in prison.
Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, almost decapitated Daniel Anjorin when he slashed at the teenager from behind as he was walking to school.
The murder happened during a 20-minute violent rampage through the streets of Hainault, northeast London, on April 30 last year, which started with Monzo ramming his van into a pedestrian.
He went on to attack a couple during a terrifying home invasion, and also stab two police officers who tried to stop him.
At the Old Bailey on Wednesday, Monzo was found guilty by a jury of Daniel’s murder, as well as three charges of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. He admitted two counts of having offensive weapons, namely two swords, before the trial began.
Mr Justice Bennathan will sentence Monzo on Friday.
Jurors heard Monzo was able to freely buy swords in the weeks before the violent spree, simply by going online and offering his payment details and an address for delivery.
He blamed mental illness for the attacks, but prosecutors argued Monzo’s psychotic disorder was brought on by his voluntary use of cannabis.
Monzo had killed, skinned and deboned his pet cat Wizard before he launched the attacks, shortly before 7am starting with ramming his grey Ford Transit van into Donato Iwule.
Co-Op security guard Mr Iwule told the court he “thought I was dying” after being struck by the van, and then saw a “smiling” Monzo emerge from the vehicle armed with a sword.
He pleaded with the attacker, saying “I don’t know you”, but heard Monzo “I don’t care – I’m going to kill you” before slashing at his neck.
An eyewitness to the first attack saw Monzo on the rampage and tried to warn others nearby of the danger, including Daniel.
But the court heard the 14-year-old had headphones in, and likely knew nothing about Monzo approaching before he was brutally stabbed.
Maria Olmos told the trial she saw Daniel fall to his knees, as Monzo “raised both his arms to the sky”.
“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.”
CCTV and police bodyworn footage captured Monzo’s subsequent movements, as he ran through the residential streets while armed with a Samurai sword. PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield pursued him through a series of alleyways, but was then struck three times with “extreme force”.
Monzo then entered a family home and attacked a couple who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with their young daughter nearby.
Inspector Moloy Campbell recalled in court the “frightening” attack he endured while trying to detain Monzo, using PAVA spray and a baton in an attempt to subdue him.
In early April, Monzo had filmed a chilling video of himself unboxing one of two Katana swords he had bought online for £427.80.
“I’m sort of obliged to do some ninja stuff”, he tells the camera, before pulling out the weapon.
A woman who hired Monzo in the past as a ‘man with a van’, for help with organising a party, told the court that he revealed himself as a flat Earther and Covid and 9/11 conspiracy theorist who hailed Elon Musk for allowing “the truth” to spread on social media.
Elizabeth Bananuka said Monzo referred to the Covid outbreak as a “plan-demic”, and suggested the world is controlled by “evil lizards” lead by the Pope.
Monzo had used his X social media account to express his interest in controversial figures such as Musk, David Icke and Andrew Tate.
Among online activity about violence, conspiracy theories, Incel and far-right extremism, Monzo had also liked posts in support of Adolf Hitler.
When he was arrested, Monzo claimed to have an alternative personality of a “professional assassin” and likened the stabbing spree to Hollywood film The Hunger Games.
Prosecutors proved drugs to blame for sword rampage
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor explains how the CPS proved it was drugs – not mental health – that prompted the killer’s psychotic spree
As the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, I know just how shocked Londoners were by Marcus Arduini-Monzo's horrifying rampage last year – and my thoughts are with the family of Daniel Anjorin and everyone whose lives were rocked by this sickening attack, not least the courageous police officers who put themselves at risk in order to protect the rest of us and undoubtedly prevented the further loss of life. I wish those officers, and all who are still recovering from the physical and mental trauma of that day, well.
Whenever an attack like this unfolds, a key question on the lips of everyone in the community is why someone would carry out such an unspeakable act.
There was no doubt Arduini-Monzo was in grips of a psychotic episode, but the challenge for our specialist homicide prosecutors in this case was proving that his mental state was the result of his cannabis misuse – not an underlying mental health condition such as schizophrenia.
This matters, because by proving Arduini-Monzo's psychosis was the result of his own actions, our prosecutors could bring charges of murder, as opposed to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Because of the expert medical evidence we brought to prove this critical point to the jury, there can now be no doubt about where the full responsibility with this shocking crime rests – with the killer.
I want Londoners to know that whenever the CPS can prove the responsibility for a crime lies with the actions of the defendant, we will not hesitate to push for the strongest possible charges.
In evidence, Monzo said he moved to London in 2013 and began smoking cannabis and taking magic mushrooms, but said he stopped in 2015.
He got into mixed martial arts (MMA) but stopped after an injury in 2016, and turned to yoga and spirituality and yoga instead, he said.
Monzo said he went to stay with a guru in India for a year in 2017, and also described taking hallucinogenic substances in South America. He described drinking his own urine and showering with it for “cleaning” purposes.
Days before the attack, Monzo said he was hearing voices telling him his cat had turned against him, and he released the pet in a local park.
But the cat returned to his Newham flat on the morning of the rampage, and that was when he strangled and skinned it.
He said the voices were “telling me that the cat had taken energy from me and to replenish and get the energy back I had to eat the cat.”
Monzo said he cook the cat but “didn’t have time to eat the cat”, so he put the dead animal in the back of his van with swords, a ball-bearing gun and a backpack containing clothes.
“I had this idea that the world was collapsing”, he said. “Something big was happening, I didn’t know exactly what, I had the idea that I wasn’t coming back.”
Monzo drove off in the direction of his parents’ home, but did not reach his intended destination.
He now faces a possible life sentence after being convicted of Daniel’s murder.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley praised the "extraordinary bravery" of the officers who responded.
"Many will remember the events that unfolded in Hainault in April last year and the shock waves that they sent through communities," he said.
"People sometimes talk casually about officers courageously running towards danger, but what happened that day is the most extraordinary example of the relentless courage that leaves 18 officers a day assaulted in London, two seriously injured each week.
"Our colleagues, desperate to protect the community, ran towards an erratic and violent man who had just killed a young child and injured many others."
He added: "Two of the officers suffered life-changing injuries, which I know they're still working hard to recover from today, and despite seeing their colleagues suffer those injuries, additional officers, without hesitation, continued to pursue the suspect, using every tactic available to stop this rampage.
"The actions of all those involved that day were truly extraordinary. My heartfelt thanks and admiration remain with them and those who investigated this case and since secured justice for the grieving family.”
Speaking outside court following the verdicts, Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: “I would like to pay my respects to Daniel's family.
“There are no words to express how sorry we are for your loss or how much admiration we have for your courage and dignity.
“It is hard to comprehend the unimaginable pain that you must have suffered in this last year.
“I can only hope that today's verdict brings some semblance of justice and relief to you, and that you're able to grieve in peace.
"Our thoughts remain with those who have been impacted by this terrible incident.”
