Attacker who killed a London schoolboy with a samurai sword is convicted of murder

A mourner holds the order of service following the funeral service of Daniel Anjorin, 14, at Jubilee Church in Ilford, east London, on May 17, 2024. (JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Warning: Some of the details below may be distressing

LONDON — A man armed with a samurai sword who killed a London teenager on his way to school and injured five other people during what the prosecution said was a psychotic episode triggered by drug use was convicted of murder on Wednesday.

A jury at London’s Central Criminal Court found Marcus Arduini Monzo guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, along with three counts of attempted murder and one count each of grievous boldily harm, aggravated burglary and possessing a bladed article.

The 37-year-old had admitted to carrying two samurai swords but denied all other charges.

Monzo, who has dual Spanish and Brazilian citizenship, killed Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in April 2024 in the Hainault area of northeast London that began when he struck a pedestrian with his van. He told the victim he was going to kill him and slashed the man’s neck. The wounded man was able to get away and survived.

Monzo then ambushed Anjorin, who was wearing headphones, and did not hear a neighbour yelling to warn him.

“We were shouting and waving towards Daniel as he came out,” Aiste Dabasinskaite said after the attack. “He had his headphones in so he wouldn’t hear us. It just happened right before our eyes, it was horrible.”

Monzo nearly beheaded the teen with the 2-foot (60 cm) blade and stabbed him as he lay on the ground.

When police officers arrived and tried to help the boy, Monzo sprang from bushes nearby and bolted. Constable Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield gave chase and suffered what police said were “brutal and life-changing” injuries including a fractured skull and severe nerve damage when he lunged at her.

Monzo then broke into a nearby home, where he awoke a couple who had been sleeping with their 4-year-old daughter. He shouted about believing in God and attacked the girl’s father, wounding him in the neck and arm.

In his final act of violence, he struck police Inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was subdued with a stun gun and arrested.

Monzo said he had turned to yoga and went on a spiritual quest after being injured doing mixed martial arts. He said he formed his views after traveling to India and consuming ayahuasca, a hallucinogen, and frequently smoking marijuana.

Prosecutors said Monzo’s social media use showed an interest in violence, far-right extremism and conspiracy theories. He had shared vaccine misinformation and liked posts on X praising Adolf Hitler.

During the trial, Monzo told jurors he believed the Earth was flat and that the 9/11 terrorist attack was “probably” a conspiracy. He also spoke about his practice of drinking his own urine.

He wept during his testimony and said he didn’t intend to kill anyone when he bought two swords, which he claimed he intended to put on display.

Also, Monzo said a voice in his head told him to kill his cat and then eat it to replenish the energy the animal sapped from him. He killed but did not eat the pet, then had a feeling an Armageddon-like ending was happening and panicked and embarked on what became a 20-minute attack, he said.

Monzo is due to be sentenced on Friday.

Jurors had to determine whether Monzo was responsible for his actions. Prosecutors said he carried out his rampage during a psychotic episode, but argued that it was brought on by his cannabis use, rather than an underlying mental health condition.

Kirsty O’Connor, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said that meant Monzo “was fully responsible for the devastation he caused last year.

“The jury, by their unequivocal verdicts, have accepted the prosecution case,” she said. “Our hearts go out to Daniel Anjorin’s family and friends who have suffered his unimaginable loss in horrific circumstances, and our thoughts remain with all of the victims who continue to recover from their injuries and trauma.”

Brian Melley, The Associated Press