'It was the most harrowing experience of our lives': Survivors of Hainault sword rampage speak out
Donato Iwule, now 34, was the first to be injured during the frenzied 20-minute rampage carried out by Marcus Arduini Monzo in Hainault, East London, on April 30 last year.
The young father was on his way to work when Monzo drove his grey Ford Transit van into him at speed.
Monzo then jumped out of his vehicle and slashed Donato in the neck with a Samurai sword before running off.
After fatally wounding 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin and injuring police officers who tried to stop him, Monzo forced his way into the home of Henry De Los Polania while the family slept.
Henry, now 36, awoke to find Monzo entering their bedroom. In the struggle that followed, he suffered deep slash wounds to his right arm, and the blade pierced his hand as he fought to protect his partner and their then four-year-old daughter.
Donato was rushed to hospital where he underwent life-saving surgery, while Henry has undergone multiple operations and will require future surgeries to help regain function in his hand.
The pair have spoken out about their ordeal after 37-year-old Monzo was jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years.
A total of five people were injured during the attack, including two police officers.
Donato was a security guard at the time of the attack and was unable to work for two months. He still suffers from the mental and physical effects of the ordeal.
'After I was hit by the van, my first instinct was to ask if the driver was okay, but he lunged at me and said he was going to kill me,' Donato said.
'I really struggled to comprehend what was going on. However, at that moment I knew I had to get away from him but he caught up with me. It was terrifying.
'I knew the injury in my neck was bad and I tried my best to stem the bleeding. I was told at the hospital that I was very lucky to be alive, and I still can't believe what happened.
'To hear that others were injured and Daniel sadly died was devastating.
'I remain traumatised and am unable to even go out or be left alone by myself. At least now I can feel some relief that that vile man is behind bars.'
Henry has still not been able to return to work as an IT consultant and is undergoing counselling.
'You can ever be prepared for someone walking into your house and attacking your family; it was the most harrowing experience of our lives,' Henry added.
'There was no reasoning behind why he picked our house. As far as I know the attack was random.
'Knowing that my partner and daughter were in danger made me jump into defence mode. All I cared about was keeping them safe.
'More than 14 months on, my hand is still in a mess and, despite all the work I've already had done on it, I'll need more.
'It's really left me restricted in what I can do now. I still haven't been able to go to work and am still in some pain, with some of my fingers and my hand not functioning correctly as it was pierced by the blade tip.
'So many families were impacted by what Monzo did, but I'm grateful for all the support I've had. Knowing that I don't have to suffer in silence, physically and mentally, is a huge weight off me.'
Former delivery driver Monzo was found guilty of murder, three charges of attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.
Donato and Henry have now instructed expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to bring a claim for damages from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
The government-run scheme is designed to compensate victims of violent crime.
Lauren Haas, the specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Donato and Henry, said: 'What started off as a normal day for Donato and Henry turned into a nightmare. The trauma they went through continues to impact them more than a year on.
'That a young boy also went on to lose his life in the attack is truly horrific.
'While we can't change what happened, we're determined to ensure that Donato and Henry are provided with the support they need to help them come to terms with their injuries.
'Through our work, we know that those affected by similar crimes are not always aware of their right to bring a criminal injuries compensation claim, so we feel privileged to be able to help Donato and Henry.'
Sarah Brumpton, who heads a specialist Irwin Mitchell national team based in Leeds dealing with specialist complex criminal injuries claims, commented: 'My team deal with all types of criminal injuries compensation claims, including one punch attacks, historic or recent abuse and shaken baby cases, as well as victims of shootings or stabbings.
'We are used to complex cases and can offer a free initial review of the circumstances of the crime and the injuries, to assess whether there is a viable claim. I would encourage any victim of a reported crime of violence with serious injuries to contact us and seek advice on whether we can assist.
'We find a lot of crime victims are not even aware of their right to seek compensation and there is only a two-year time limit on bringing claims, although in exceptional circumstances my team and I have been successful in applying significantly later than that and in situations where no report to the police was made such as in child abuse cases.'
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