Latest news with #MarcusArduiniMonzo
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Man allegedly murdered boy, 14, with sword in ‘brutal string of attacks'
A man allegedly murdered a 14-year-old boy with a Samurai sword in a 'brutal string of attacks' that were indiscriminate, a court has heard. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, is on trial charged with murdering Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute spate of attacks in Hainault, north-east London, on April 30 last year. He denies the charge as well as four counts of attempted murder. None of the victims were known to Monzo and 'it did not matter who they were or indeed how old they were', prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey on Wednesday. He told jurors that they may conclude 'there can be little doubt that the defendant was intending to kill as many people as he could that day and that he is therefore just as guilty of the four charges of attempted murder as he is the charge of murder'. Prior to the incident, Monzo had skinned and deboned his own cat, the prosecutor said. It is alleged that the first attack was when Monzo drove his grey Ford Transit van at speed into Donato Iwule. The pedestrian was 'catapulted some distance' into a nearby garden on Laing Close and the vehicle smashed a concrete pillar and fence, the court heard. The defendant then exited his vehicle and struck Mr Iwule in the neck with the sword, jurors were told. Footage played to the court appeared to feature Mr Iwule wailing and later running away after the alleged murder attempt that started at 6.51am. Mr Little told jurors: 'If he had not managed to escape it seems inevitable that he too would have been killed.' The defendant then re-entered the badly damaged van and drove a short distance down Laing Close, the court heard. Daniel was wearing headphones and school sports clothes when he left home for school at 7am and was 'slain' by Monzo, Mr Little claimed. 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. Mr Little described the wound as 'essentially a near-decapitation'. Emergency services were called and police and paramedics arrived 'at the point and just after' the alleged attack. Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield pursued the armed defendant through a series of alleyways through residential properties, the court heard. Monzo struck her three times with the sword that had a 60cm blade using 'extreme force', the prosecutor said. She sustained 'significant injuries' that could have 'easily' killed her, he added. Monzo is accused of then entering a nearby house through a backdoor and walking upstairs into a sleeping couple's bedroom and attacking them. Their daughter was sleeping in a bed next to theirs and Mr Little said: 'They were spared only because in fact the four-year-old child woke up and started to cry.' The defendant shouted to the couple on a number occasions, 'do you believe in god?' before leaving the property through the front door, the court heard. Police had been following the defendant and he was backed into a nearby garage area near to the other alleged attacks, the court heard. He is accused of then striking Inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before attempting to escape police. The defendant is said to have climbed on top a garage but he was eventually disarmed and arrested. During police interview he initially answered 'no comment', but later recalled having a large sword, the court heard. Monzo claimed his personality had switched and that 'something happened, like a game happening', Mr Little said. The defendant compared the events to the movie The Hunger Games and said 'part of my lifestyle is to heal… been through traumatic events in childhood'. He also told police that he had 'many personalities spread out' and that one of them is a 'professional assassin', the prosecution said. Monzo denies Daniel's murder, and has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Pc Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield, as well as wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell with intent. He also denies aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. That weapon was found in his van and had non-human blood on it which was linked to the killing of his cat, the court heard. Monzo previously admitted two counts of having an offensive weapon, namely two swords. Jurors were told these were the alleged murder weapon, and a Katana sword with a 22cm blade that was discovered in his van and had no blood on it. Mr Little argued there is 'no issue in this trial as to who carried out this brutal string of attacks and what the defendant did on that fateful early morning'. He said Monzo had been under the influence of cannabis, and that: 'We say that the defendant's conduct was brought about by self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs. 'We say this led to a psychotic disorder but not one meeting the requirements to make out the partial defence to murder of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.' Drug-induced psychosis is not a recognised medical condition and cannot alone establish diminished responsibility, he said. Psychiatrists will discuss whether Monzo met the threshold for a schizotypal disorder diagnosis, he added. The trial continues.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Swordsman accused of murdering schoolboy ‘became psychotic after taking cannabis'
A man who murdered a 14-year-old schoolboy with a Japanese sword experienced psychotic episodes after taking cannabis, a court has heard. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, believed 'he was in a battle against evil forces' when he allegedly stabbed Daniel Anjorin as he walked to school in Hainault, north-east London, on April 30 last year. He is said to have 'moved quickly like a predator' behind Daniel before inflicting a 'devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury' to his face and neck. The Spanish-Brazilian national, from Newham, east London, is also accused of attacking four others, including two police officers, during a 20-minute rampage. He has denied eight of the 10 charges against him, including murder. A trial at the Old Bailey heard on Wednesday that Mr Monzo's mental state had been 'materially altered' by cannabis use and, at the time of the alleged attack, he had 'developed a cannabis induced fully fledged psychotic episode characterised by reality distortion symptoms'. Tom Little KC, prosecuting, said Mr Monzo was 'informed by his delusional beliefs that he and his family were in mortal danger, and that he was engaged in a battle against evil forces at a time of revelation or Armageddon'. He said cannabis was identified in Mr Monzo's urine and blood samples after the incident and a 'large amount' of cannabis was also found in a search of his house along with a 'skinned and deboned cat'. Mr Little, quoting forensic psychiatrist Prof Nigel Blackwood, who will later be called by the prosecution, said: 'In Prof Blackwood's opinion, cannabis misuse appears to have been the principal driver of his mental state deterioration at this time. 'The violence would not, in Prof Blackwood's opinion, have happened in the absence of such voluntary substance misuse.' Mr Monzo appeared in the dock wearing a bright green jumper with short, cropped hair and stubble. He looked furtively around the court at times and spoke often to security guards sitting on either side of him. Daniel's family were also in the court. Mr Little said Mr Monzo had left his home just before 6.30am in his van, wearing a yellow Quiksilver hoodie, black trousers, and black shoes. He said the attack started at about 6.51am when he drove his van into Donato Iwule, a pedestrian in Laing Close, causing him to be 'catapulted some distance into a garden'. Video footage of the incident was played to the jury, in which Mr Iwule, who had been walking to a Co-Op store where he worked, can be heard screaming in pain. Mr Monzo allegedly then left the vehicle and approached Mr Iwule with a samurai sword. Mr Little said: 'Donato Iwule shouted at him 'I don't know you' and the defendant said 'I don't care, I will kill you'. 'That comment from the defendant tells you, you may think, everything you need to know about his intention that morning.' Mr Monzo is alleged to have swung his sword at Mr Iwule's neck and torso, but he was able to roll away and escape over a fence. 'If he had not managed to escape, it seems inevitable that he too would have been killed,' said Mr Little. Mr Monzo is then said to have driven further down Laing Close before exiting the vehicle. At this time, the court heard that Daniel had left his home and was walking to school wearing sports clothes, his backpack, and headphones. Mr Little said: 'The defendant had obviously seen him and the defendant then moved quickly like a predator behind Daniel Anjorin. 'He lifted the sword above his head and then swung it downwards towards Daniel's head and neck area. 'Daniel instantly fell to the ground. The defendant then leant over him and used the sword again to injure Daniel.' He added: 'The force used was extreme. It involved a devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury to the left-hand side of Daniel's face and neck'. Mr Monzo is then said to have taken off Daniel's backpack, dragging the schoolboy's body along the road in the process. The court heard that emergency services had been called to the scene at this time. Mr Monzo is said to have then attacked Pc Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield, who pursued him down a series of alleyways behind residential properties while he was still armed. He is then alleged to have entered a nearby house where he attacked a couple in their bedroom. Mr Little said the couple's lives had been spared only because 'their four-year-old child woke up and started crying'. He said there were many police officers in the area at that time, and that Mr Monzo then became 'surrounded in a garage area nearby to the other attacks', where he attacked another police officer. Mr Monzo was finally disarmed and detained after he climbed onto the roof of the garage, he said. Asked about the attack in a police interview, Mr Monzo said his personality switched and that 'something happened, like a game happening', and it was like 'the movie Hunger Games'. Mr Little said: 'He said that one of his personalities is a professional assassin.' In court last month, Mr Monzo denied eight of the 10 charges against him but admitted two counts of having an offensive weapon – a katana sword and a tanto katana sword. He also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Mr Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Pc Mechem-Whitfield as well as wounding Insp Moloy Campbell with intent. Mr Monzo denied aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. The trial continues.
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Schoolboy slain in unprovoked attack by swordsman during ‘murderous' 20-minute rampage, court told
A man carried out a 'brutal string of attacks with murderous intent' which left a 14-year-old schoolboy dead and five others injured during a series of unprovoked attacks, a court has heard. Marcus Arduini Monzo embarked on a 20-minute rampage with a large 60cm Japanese sword in Hainault, north-east London, on 30 April last year, while under the influence of drugs, a jury at the Old Bailey was told. The bearded defendant, 37, is accused of ambushing teenager Daniel Anjorin as he walked to school and slashing him repeatedly in the chest and neck. He has denied his murder, as well as four counts of attempted murder and one count of wounding with intent, which left injuries of 'various degrees of severity'. Opening the case on Wednesday, prosecutor Tom Little KC said: 'The prosecution say 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. 'Daniel Anjorin is the boy that was murdered. He did not know the defendant. He was just 14 years of age at the time. He had left home and was simply walking to school, minding his own business, 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 court heard that the force used was 'extreme', and that Daniel sustained a 'devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury'. Mr Little KC recounted that the incident began shortly before 7am, when Monzo is accused of deliberately driving his van into Donato Iwule on Laing Close, who narrowly escaped death after being 'catapulted' into a nearby garden and attacked with the same sword. 'Donato Iwule also did not know the defendant. If he had not managed to escape, it seems inevitable that he too would have been killed,' the prosecutor said. In dramatic footage shown to jurors, Mr Iwule can be heard shouting, 'I don't know you' before managing to run across the street while screaming. Monzo is then accused of approaching a female witness and attempting to trap her by standing on her foot. She managed to escape and was able to call the police. Shortly afterwards, Daniel was making his way to school when Monzo is accused of 'moving quickly like a predator' towards him and fatally striking him with the sword. In mobile phone footage from one witness, Mr Little KC says one onlooker can be heard saying "He just killed that boy, he just killed him right outside my house". Emergency services were swiftly called, with police officers and paramedics arriving just moments after Daniel had been killed. As they approached his body, the court heard that Monzo approached the ambulance with his sword, forcing them to retreat and preventing them from treating Daniel. The third person to be attacked was a female police officer, Yasin Mechem-Whitfield, who is said to have been injured after she 'bravely' chased Monzo through a series of alleyways while he was still armed with the sword. The defendant is then accused of entering a nearby house and attacking Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania in their bedroom, before 'sparing their lives' after their four-year-old child started crying. The final attack is said to have occurred after Monzo was surrounded in a garage area, with police inspector Moloy Campbell injured before he was disarmed and arrested. Jurors heard that there was 'no issue' that Monzo carried out the string of attacks, but it was his state of mind that was in dispute. '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 a self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs,' Mr Little KC said. 'This, we say, led to a psychotic disorder but not one meeting the requirements to make out the partial defence to murder of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.' The court heard that the defence case will say that Monzo 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'. In a court appearance last month, Monzo denied Daniel's murder, and pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Pc Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield as well as wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell with intent. He also denied aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife.
