Daniel Never Came Home – The Madness Behind The Blade

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin during a shocking sword attack in East London that also left five others injured.

Marcus Monzo, 37, launched a frenzied 20-minute rampage in Hainault on the morning of April 30, 2024, just moments after stepping out of his home.

Armed with a 60cm samurai sword, Monzo fatally attacked Daniel as the teenager walked to school dressed in his PE kit.

At the Old Bailey, Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described the fatal blow as an “unsurvivable wound” and sentenced Monzo to a minimum of 38 years in prison before he can be considered for parole.

The judge directly attributed Monzo’s state of mind to long-term cannabis use, saying, “You were well aware of its impact on your mental health – the paranoia, the panic attacks.

“Yet you kept using it.”

While Monzo’s previously clean criminal record offered minimal mitigation, the judge was firm: substance abuse could not excuse such a horrifying act of violence.

Monzo, a dual Brazilian Spanish national and former Amazon delivery driver, was found guilty on multiple charges beyond Daniel’s murder.

These include three counts of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed weapon in public.

During his spree, Monzo reportedly attacked several people, including local residents Donato Iwule and Sindy Arias.

He also attacked police officers PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield and Insp Moloy Campbell.

Bodycam footage shown in court revealed the chaos, showing officers struggling to subdue Monzo as he lashed out violently, causing serious injuries.

Terrifying details emerged during the trial: hours before his public rampage, Monzo had killed and skinned his pet cat.

This, prosecutors pointed to as an early indicator of his deteriorating mental state.

Witnesses recalled seeing Monzo smiling and shouting with glee after attacking Daniel.

Later, he broke into a family’s home, reportedly asking, “Do you believe in God?” before assaulting the parents in front of their child.

PC Mechem-Whitfield was attacked with brutal force as she pursued Monzo through residential alleyways.

Insp. Campbell was slashed across the hand as he tried to restrain him.

Even after his arrest, Monzo’s disturbing behaviour continued.

He likened his actions to The Hunger Games, claimed to be a “professional assassin,” and insisted he remembered nothing of the attacks.

While he admitted to drinking ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea, tests revealed no trace of DMT, its active ingredient, in his system.

Monzo, the man who murdered 14 year old Daniel Anjorin

Prosecutor Tom Little KC rejected any defense based on diminished responsibility.

He argued that Monzo’s psychosis was self-induced by drug use, a claim the jury ultimately agreed with.

In a heartbreaking victim impact statement, Daniel’s father, Dr Ebenezer Anjorin, recounted the moment he discovered his son lying lifeless in a pool of blood, not far from their home.

“I called his name and held his head,” he said, remembering the deep slash across Daniel’s face. “I knew at once he was gone.”

The court also heard emotional statements from survivors.

Henry De Los Rios Polania, who was attacked in his own home while shielding his family, said he’s spent the past year unable to work, focused solely on healing.

“All I can say is, I’m surviving,” he said.

In Monzo’s defence, barrister Ian Henderson KC read a letter to the court in which Monzo expressed confusion, regret, and sorrow.

“He wishes he could turn back the clock,” Henderson said, although he acknowledged that remorse alone could not undo the devastation.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley praised the courage of the officers who confronted Monzo and hoped the conviction would offer “some small semblance of justice” for Daniel’s grieving family.

The sentencing brings closure to one of the most chilling random attacks in recent UK memory, a stark reminder of the tragic consequences of untreated mental health issues, drug misuse, and unchecked violence.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook