Hainault sword attacker sentenced to life in prison after murdering schoolboy and injuring five more

At the Old Bailey, Monzo was found guilty of seven offences, including murder, three counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (having been cleared of the more serious count of attempted murder), aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.

Monzo sat still in court, looking straight ahead as he was sentenced to a minimum of 38 years in prison.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Bennathan said: "Over 20 minutes, members of the public were attacked, police officers were gravely injured, a couple were terrified in their own home, and a clever, talented young boy was killed.

"You, Marcus, did all of that. Daniel was a clever boy, he was gifted musically and played a variety of sports well.

"His loss is devastating to his parents, his brother and sister and his grandparents I am very conscious no sentence I can pass can even begin to temper Daniel’s family’s grief."

Upon hearing his sentence, Monzo walked out almost straight after the sentence was read to the courtroom at the Old Bailey.

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Daniel’s father, Dr Ebenezer Anjorin, described losing his son as his "worst nightmare".

Speaking publicly about it for the first time, Dr Anjorin said in a statement: "On April 30, 2024, at approximately 7am, Daniel left for school.

"At approximately 7.15am I was informed by my eldest son that Daniel had been stabbed on the road near my house. I ran outside the house, and just across the road, I saw a hunched-up body by the side of the road.

"I did not realise that it was Daniel at first but, as I got closer, I recognised the school sports clothes and saw his face.

"He was lying in a pool of blood and had a deep cut to his face running from the side of his mouth to the back of his neck. He was motionless. I knew at once that he was dead, but I reached down, called his name and held his head."

After a few minutes, he called Daniel’s mother, who screamed and cried when she arrived home and saw paramedics trying to resuscitate her son, who died later in hospital.

Dr Anjorin said he could not begin to describe the "pain and anguish" the family felt at losing Daniel, who was academically gifted and enjoyed sports and music.

He said: "We will not see him get married or have children. All the normal things parents hope for their children.

"All these hopes and aspirations have been cruelly snatched away from us through the wicked actions of Marcus Monzo."

The court heard how Monzo had killed and skinned his pet cat Wizard before running amok in Hainault. He drove his van into Donato Iwule, who ran away screaming as Monzo got out of the vehicle and came at him with a sword.

Monzo then attacked Daniel from behind, causing un-survivable neck injuries. When PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield tried to detain Monzo, he repeatedly struck her with "savage" blows, causing severe injuries.

He erupted into the home of Henry De Los Rios Polania and Sindy Arias, who had been asleep with their young child nearby.

Inspector Moloy Campbell cornered Monzo in a car park and ran in with his baton raised, only to be slashed on the hand.

Officers eventually detained the delivery driver, who had become psychotic from taking cannabis.

Afterwards, Monzo, who had viewed misogynistic content on social media, likened events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative persona of a "professional assassin".