Latest news with #PcYasminMechemWhitfield
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Survivors describe ‘devastating' impact of Hainault sword attack
Survivors have spoken of the 'profound' and 'devastating' impact of the Hainault sword attack. Security guard Donato Iwule was run over by a van and then ran screaming for his life when Marcus Monzo came at him with a sword. In a victim impact statement, he said: 'The attack I endured has profoundly disrupted my life on every level, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. 'I've had to manage physical pain, emotional trauma, anxiety – all from one violent and traumatic event. 'I am still in the process of healing – it has changed how I live, how I feel, and how I see the world around me.' Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield was severely injured after being struck repeatedly with a sword by Monzo. She said: 'Since the 30th April 2024 the injuries I sustained during this incident have had a significant and permanent effect on my life which has taken away my independence.' She described facing 'numerous challenges' in the wake of the attack, including struggling to dress one-handed, and preparing her hair. She said: 'I find this emotionally devastating every morning as I try to cover the scar and dent on the left side of my head. 'I no longer want to travel by myself or go out of the house without someone being with me. I have a fear of being attacked again and not being able to defend myself.' Sindy Arias was asleep with her then partner Henry De Los Rios Polania when Monzo burst into their room, with their young child nearby. She said she suffered 'deep, persistent fear' and although she was not physically hurt, the emotional consequences were profound. 'No other family or person should have to go through such a complex, painful and destabilising experience,' she said. Mr Polania suffered severe injuries to his hands which prevented him from going back to work. Despite that, he said he had found strength he did not know he had and leaned on the love of family, friends and professionals. He said: 'I want the court to understand this attack didn't end when it was over. I live with its consequences every single day, in my body, in my mind, in my finances, and in my future. 'I hope justice today reflects the seriousness and long-lasting damage caused by this violent act. And I hope the person responsible understands the full weight of what they've done and takes responsibility for it.' Inspector Moloy Campbell sustained a serious hand injury when he ran in to confront Monzo with his baton raised after learning that one of his colleagues had been hurt. Reading his statement at Monzo's sentencing on Friday, he said: 'The community that my team and I are tasked to protect was under attack. My team, the line which stood between peace and chaos, safety and danger, was being breached. 'This is a scary and lonely place to be in. There was no help in that moment – we were the help. 'I had a choice to make: to contain Mr Monzo and line my officers up for slaughter, or confront Mr Monzo, thereby putting mine and other officers' lives at risk. This is a horrible decision which no-one should have to make. 'When I challenged Mr Monzo, I knew it may be the last decision I would ever make, but one that had to be made. 'It's a horrible feeling, being in a confrontation which feels like a 'him or me' situation. When I felt the slash to my hand I looked down and saw the inside of it. I had no choice but to withdrawn due to a catastrophic bleed but I felt I had failed.' Mr Campbell was treated in hospital and came round believing the team had achieved their goal to preserve life. Describing his feelings on learning that was not the case and schoolboy Daniel Anjorin had died, he said: 'I have never had the wind knocked out of me like that moment. I felt I was being sucked down into my hospital bed.' He added: 'Since returning to work, my heart beats a little bit quicker when my officers respond to violent incidents involving weapons. 'But Mr Monzo, you should know that my officers and I have continued, with renewed pride and focus, to respond whenever called upon. This will not change.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Survivors describe ‘devastating' impact of Hainault sword attack
Survivors have spoken of the 'profound' and 'devastating' impact of the Hainault sword attack. Security guard Donato Iwule was run over by a van and then ran screaming for his life when Marcus Monzo came at him with a sword. In a victim impact statement, he said: 'The attack I endured has profoundly disrupted my life on every level, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. 'I've had to manage physical pain, emotional trauma, anxiety – all from one violent and traumatic event. 'I am still in the process of healing – it has changed how I live, how I feel, and how I see the world around me.' Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield was severely injured after being struck repeatedly with a sword by Monzo. She said: 'Since the 30th April 2024 the injuries I sustained during this incident have had a significant and permanent effect on my life which has taken away my independence.' She described facing 'numerous challenges' in the wake of the attack, including struggling to dress one-handed, and preparing her hair. She said: 'I find this emotionally devastating every morning as I try to cover the scar and dent on the left side of my head. 'I no longer want to travel by myself or go out of the house without someone being with me. I have a fear of being attacked again and not being able to defend myself.' Sindy Arias was asleep with her then partner Henry De Los Rios Polania when Monzo burst into their room, with their young child nearby. She said she suffered 'deep, persistent fear' and although she was not physically hurt, the emotional consequences were profound. 'No other family or person should have to go through such a complex, painful and destabilising experience,' she said. Mr Polania suffered severe injuries to his hands which prevented him from going back to work. Despite that, he said he had found strength he did not know he had and leaned on the love of family, friends and professionals. He said: 'I want the court to understand this attack didn't end when it was over. I live with its consequences every single day, in my body, in my mind, in my finances, and in my future. 'I hope justice today reflects the seriousness and long-lasting damage caused by this violent act. And I hope the person responsible understands the full weight of what they've done and takes responsibility for it.'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
‘There was no time for fear', says officer who confronted Hainault attacker
A brave police officer who was injured as he ran to confront psychotic swordsman Marcus Monzo has said there was 'no time for fear' as lives were on the line. Inspector Moloy Campbell reflected on the lengths to which he and his team went to prevent further loss of life after Monzo killed 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London. Before Mr Campbell's arrival on the morning of April 30 last year, Monzo had repeatedly struck Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield with a samurai sword and was still on the loose. Mr Campbell told the PA news agency: 'As we were heading to the incident my sergeant was driving and I was in the operator seat. As we heard that transmission 'police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed' I turned to him and said: 'Just get us there, don't speed up, don't let red mist get to you. We need to get there and get control of this incident'.' He said his thoughts were entirely focused on the need to 'preserve life', including that of his officers on the ground. Mr Campbell took the decision to confront Monzo in a car park and ran at him with baton drawn in terrifying scenes captured on police body-worn video. He said: 'There was no time for fear. That is not a reflection of bravery of me or anyone else, it's a fact, there was no time for that. 'There is a job to be done and there was an objective that needed to be met and that was, as I say, the preservation of life. 'At that point there was no help coming. Armed police were coming but they were 10, 15 minutes away and that's far too long in that situation. 'That's not the fault of my colleagues, it's just the way it played out on that morning. 'It was a case of doing what I thought needed to be done. It was a decision of do we contain the defendant or do we confront. The decision was to confront because I felt had we done anything else then more members of the public and potentially police officers would have been seriously injured or worse.' Mr Campbell, who suffered a slash wound to his hand, said 'luck' and 'good instincts' of members of the public meant no more people were killed by Monzo that day. He said that he felt enormous pride for his team who managed to detain the 37-year-old suspect. 'They did what we do every day. We chase people with knives. We chase people with offensive weapons,' he said. 'They were there to do what they do every day, so it was no surprise, but what they did undoubtedly saved further loss of life. 'I'm proud of them every day and they needed no supervision nor direction to chase down a man with a sword. That should speak volumes. 'But right now as I speak there is probably a police officer somewhere in the country chasing someone with a knife or something else. 'What we saw in Hainault was extraordinary circumstances in the way it turned out but it's not unusual to have someone running round with a knife at 7am. It's not unusual at all.' On the work of his team, Mr Campbell said: 'They regularly turn out from parade and go on blue lights having been asleep two hours ago and switch into that mode.' Asked whether their bravery made them heroes, he said: 'I think to describe yourself as a hero would be slightly distasteful. I think they know what I think of them in terms of whether they are a hero or not.' On the impact of the Hainault attack, he said: 'In terms of the ongoing effect there is much recovery for many of the officers to be done. 'However three days later they were back in the car and they were responding to the same incident. 'I took more time off because I was still recovering – I took four months off and came back when I could use my hand again. 'In the second shift the first call came out 'male with a samurai sword in a park making thrusting gestures at the public'. 'Yet again the same officers got into their car and went with blue lights on and ran at that person. The same officers who had been involved in the other one. 'I was on my way as well – although my heart beat slightly quicker. It just goes to show that they had been through it and, yes, they had been affected, but it does not distract them from what they are doing and what they were expected to be doing.' Mr Campbell sat at the Old Bailey throughout Monzo's murder trial and was in court when he was found guilty on Wednesday. On his reaction, he said: 'My entire thoughts were for the family of Daniel. I spoke to my team and thanked them again and filled them in on the finer details. 'My thoughts were for Daniel's family who I am humbled by – incredible people. I think the jury came to the right decision.' Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said he was 'incredibly proud' of the police response. 'The scale and severity of the attack was intense and quite widespread and throughout the entire incident our officers responded with courage, placing their own safety second, trying to prevent harm to others first, showing great courage and bravery and teamwork to eventually detain Monzo. 'That type of incident is rare thankfully but the notion of our officers running towards and dealing with dangerous situations is not. 'Eighteen officers a day in London are assaulted dealing with calls. The behaviour our officers displayed that day is displayed every day, the fearlessness, the courage, the self-sacrifice. Frankly, Moloy and Yasmin both suffered severe injuries as a result of them attempting to prevent harm to others and our officers take that action every day.' Speaking ahead of Monzo's sentencing on Friday, Mr Bell paid tribute to the schoolboy who lost his life. He said: 'Daniel was universally described as a talented, gentle young man with great potential with a life ahead of him who was loved by so many. 'His untimely death is a tragedy and words do not come close to describing how tragic, how random the events which befell Daniel were. 'His family have been nothing but dignified, resilient and behaved with the most incredible courage and we are frankly in awe of them. 'All we could do was try to bring some form of justice to Daniel and the family and now give them the space to move on and grieve.' Mr Bell said Monzo's actions were induced by cannabis and even though it was a concern he had been exposed to extreme views on social media – including far-right and incel ideology – there was no evidence he had enacted anything he had seen online. Despite efforts to clamp down on the sale of knives online, Monzo had bought an expensive handmade Katana sword legally.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘There was no time for fear', says officer who confronted Hainault attacker
A brave police officer who was injured as he ran to confront psychotic swordsman Marcus Monzo has said there was 'no time for fear' as lives were on the line. Inspector Moloy Campbell reflected on the lengths to which he and his team went to prevent further loss of life after Monzo killed 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London. Before Mr Campbell's arrival on the morning of April 30 last year, Monzo had repeatedly struck Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield with a samurai sword and was still on the loose. Mr Campbell told the PA news agency: 'As we were heading to the incident my sergeant was driving and I was in the operator seat. As we heard that transmission 'police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed' I turned to him and said: 'Just get us there, don't speed up, don't let red mist get to you. We need to get there and get control of this incident'.' He said his thoughts were entirely focused on the need to 'preserve life', including that of his officers on the ground. Mr Campbell took the decision to confront Monzo in a car park and ran at him with baton drawn in terrifying scenes captured on police body-worn video. He said: 'There was no time for fear. That is not a reflection of bravery of me or anyone else, it's a fact, there was no time for that. 'There is a job to be done and there was an objective that needed to be met and that was, as I say, the preservation of life. 'At that point there was no help coming. Armed police were coming but they were 10, 15 minutes away and that's far too long in that situation. 'That's not the fault of my colleagues, it's just the way it played out on that morning. 'It was a case of doing what I thought needed to be done. It was a decision of do we contain the defendant or do we confront. The decision was to confront because I felt had we done anything else then more members of the public and potentially police officers would have been seriously injured or worse.' Mr Campbell, who suffered a slash wound to his hand, said 'luck' and 'good instincts' of members of the public meant no more people were killed by Monzo that day. He said that he felt enormous pride for his team who managed to detain the 37-year-old suspect. 'They did what we do every day. We chase people with knives. We chase people with offensive weapons,' he said. 'They were there to do what they do every day, so it was no surprise, but what they did undoubtedly saved further loss of life. 'I'm proud of them every day and they needed no supervision nor direction to chase down a man with a sword. That should speak volumes. 'But right now as I speak there is probably a police officer somewhere in the country chasing someone with a knife or something else. 'What we saw in Hainault was extraordinary circumstances in the way it turned out but it's not unusual to have someone running round with a knife at 7am. It's not unusual at all.' On the work of his team, Mr Campbell said: 'They regularly turn out from parade and go on blue lights having been asleep two hours ago and switch into that mode.' Asked whether their bravery made them heroes, he said: 'I think to describe yourself as a hero would be slightly distasteful. I think they know what I think of them in terms of whether they are a hero or not.' On the impact of the Hainault attack, he said: 'In terms of the ongoing effect there is much recovery for many of the officers to be done. 'However three days later they were back in the car and they were responding to the same incident. 'I took more time off because I was still recovering – I took four months off and came back when I could use my hand again. 'In the second shift the first call came out 'male with a samurai sword in a park making thrusting gestures at the public'. 'Yet again the same officers got into their car and went with blue lights on and ran at that person. The same officers who had been involved in the other one. 'I was on my way as well – although my heart beat slightly quicker. It just goes to show that they had been through it and, yes, they had been affected, but it does not distract them from what they are doing and what they were expected to be doing.' Mr Campbell sat at the Old Bailey throughout Monzo's murder trial and was in court when he was found guilty on Wednesday. On his reaction, he said: 'My entire thoughts were for the family of Daniel. I spoke to my team and thanked them again and filled them in on the finer details. 'My thoughts were for Daniel's family who I am humbled by – incredible people. I think the jury came to the right decision.' Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said he was 'incredibly proud' of the police response. 'The scale and severity of the attack was intense and quite widespread and throughout the entire incident our officers responded with courage, placing their own safety second, trying to prevent harm to others first, showing great courage and bravery and teamwork to eventually detain Monzo. 'That type of incident is rare thankfully but the notion of our officers running towards and dealing with dangerous situations is not. 'Eighteen officers a day in London are assaulted dealing with calls. The behaviour our officers displayed that day is displayed every day, the fearlessness, the courage, the self-sacrifice. Frankly, Moloy and Yasmin both suffered severe injuries as a result of them attempting to prevent harm to others and our officers take that action every day.' Speaking ahead of Monzo's sentencing on Friday, Mr Bell paid tribute to the schoolboy who lost his life. He said: 'Daniel was universally described as a talented, gentle young man with great potential with a life ahead of him who was loved by so many. 'His untimely death is a tragedy and words do not come close to describing how tragic, how random the events which befell Daniel were. 'His family have been nothing but dignified, resilient and behaved with the most incredible courage and we are frankly in awe of them. 'All we could do was try to bring some form of justice to Daniel and the family and now give them the space to move on and grieve.' Mr Bell said Monzo's actions were induced by cannabis and even though it was a concern he had been exposed to extreme views on social media – including far-right and incel ideology – there was no evidence he had enacted anything he had seen online. Despite efforts to clamp down on the sale of knives online, Monzo had bought an expensive handmade Katana sword legally.
