Latest news with #katana
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Watch: Hainault swordsman vows to do ‘ninja stuff'
A man accused of murdering a 14-year-old schoolboy with a Japanese sword said he would 'do some ninja stuff' as he unboxed the weapon. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, is on trial accused of murdering Daniel Anjorin, 14, as he walked to school in Hainault, north-east London, on April 30 last year. In footage shown at the Old Bailey, Mr Monzo was filmed removing the weapon from its packaging on April 4 2024, just weeks before the attacks. The self-filmed iPhone video recorded him exclaiming 'wow' and 'freaking sexy' before telling the camera: 'This just came through the post.' He added: 'This is very ninja stuff. I'm sort of obliged to do some ninja stuff.' The footage shows the martial arts enthusiast practising swinging the sword. A ginger cat, which Mr Monzo refers to as 'Wizard', also appears in the footage. Prosecutors previously told the jury that Mr Monzo 'skinned and deboned' a cat before the attacks. In the video, he is wearing a yellow Quiksilver hooded jumper which jurors have previously been told was worn during the attacks. The court heard Mr Monzo purchased two handmade katana swords from Japan for £427.80 on Feb 21, 2024, which were delivered to his home in early April. The Spanish-Brazilian national, from Newham, east London, was charged with murder after being arrested near the scene of Daniel's murder. He is also accused of attacking four others, including two police officers, during a 20-minute rampage. Mr Monzo has denied eight of the 10 charges against him, including murder. The trial heard last week that Mr Monzo believed 'he was in a battle against evil forces' during the attacks and that he had experienced psychotic episodes after taking cannabis. Jurors were told that his 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'. The court was previously told Mr Monzo left his home at 6.30am in his grey Ford Transit work van, which he drove at Donato Iwule, a pedestrian, on Laing Close at 6.51am. Mr Monzo then allegedly exited the vehicle to swing his sword at Mr Iwule, who was able to roll away and escape over a fence. He is accused of then approaching Daniel from behind as he walked to school and then inflicting 'a devastating and unsurvivable chopping injury to the left-hand side of Daniel's face and neck'. Mr Monzo is said to have then attacked Pc Yasmin Margaret Mechem-Whitfield as she pursued him down a series of alleyways, before entering a nearby house where he attacked a couple – Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania – in their bedroom. He is then accused of attacking another officer, Insp Moloy Campbell, before being disarmed and detained. 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. The trial continues.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Chilling moment ‘killer' brands samurai sword ‘freaking sexy' before he ‘murdered boy, 14, in rampage'
THIS is the moment an alleged killer branded a samurai sword "freaking sexy" before he murdered a 14-year-old boy in a rampage, a court heard. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, ambushed Daniel Anjorin, 14, as he made his way to school in Hainault, East London. 7 Jurors heard Monzo also tried to kill female cop Yasim Mechem-Whitfield, Henry De Los Rios Polina, Sindy Arias and Donato Iwule in the horror. Police today released footage shown to the court of the so-called "mystic" unboxing a Katana sword he had bought online. The Spanish-Brazilian national can be heard saying "wow" as he explains the weapon was "handmade in Japan". Monzo can be seen standing on a black mat with a ginger cat he calls the "Wizard" by his side. He tells the camera: "This just came through… Ninja stuff. So I'm sort of obliged to do some ninja stuff with the Wizard." Monzo then brands the sword "freaking sexy" and exclaims "ooh" as he lunges around holding the weapon. The court heard the martial artist spent nearly £1,000 on swords in December 2023 before cancelling the order. He then bought two handmade Katana swords for £427.80 on February 21, 2024, with delivery coming through to his home in early April. Jurors heard Monzo killed and skinned his own cat at home before setting off on the rampage after believing he was in the "Hunger Games". He carried out the attack with "murderous intent" over a 20-minute period on April 30, it was said. The Old Bailey heard Donato was the first to be attacked when Monzo "deliberately" drove into him in his van. As he was knocked into a garden, Monzo allegedly got out the van and slashed his neck with the Samurai sword. 7 7 7 Donato managed to escape as emergency crews were scrambled to the residential street. Meanwhile, Daniel was walking to school "minding his own business" when his life was "snuffed out in an instant". The court heard PC Mechem-Whitfield arrived at the scene of the horror and "bravely pursued" Monzo through alleyways after he tried to flee. The officer was "struck three times" and suffered significant injuries in the horror. Monzo then burst into a house to attack a couple in their bedroom as their child slept next to them, it was said. He shouted out 'do you believe in God?' about four times then began to attack Henry De Los Rios Polania with the sword before attempting to stab his wife. Jurors were told their lives were only spared because the youngster woke up and started to cry. Monzo was taken to hospital by police before going to Romford police station. NHS systems were checked and showed there were no documented mental health concerns or access to mental health services by Monzo. The court heard Monzo does not dispute he carried out the attacks. But the jury will have decide "why he did so and what his state of mind was" at the time. Prosecutor Tom Little KC said: "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 self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs. "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." Monzo, of West Beckton, Newham, denies murder, four counts of attempted murder and one of wounding with intent. The trial continues. 7 7
