A swordsman accused of murdering a schoolboy during a rampage in East London tried to enter an ambulance with a bloody sword, jurors have heard. Marcus Monzo, 37, is accused of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin and attempting to kill four others during a 20-minute series of attacks in Hainault in April last year. He denies all charges.
In clips played to jurors at the Old Bailey on Tuesday (June 10), ring doorbell footage showed Mr Monzo shouting ‘don’t you believe in God’, while mobile phone footage appeared to show bystanders shouting ‘f**k’ and ‘he’s dead’.
CCTV from the first ambulance to respond caught the moment Mr Monzo appeared to grab the door handle, hit the driver-side door with his sword, then chase after the vehicle. London Ambulance Service (LAS) paramedic Stephanie Baisden told jurors the incident was ‘extremely terrifying’.
“I stopped the vehicle close to Daniel,” she said, “As that happened my colleague Mr Allan shouted ‘drive drive’… I was spinning around to my right. That was when the suspect was at my window. The male was holding a very large sword, machete-type weapon. I could see he was wearing yellow. His weapon was right in his hand. He was trying to force that into the driver-side where I was sitting.” Her colleague was forced to lock the door to stop him entering.
After driving off down a cul-de-sac, Ms Baisden performed a three-point turn and waited before returning to treat Daniel and take him to hospital. The other paramedic, Lachlan Allan, said he was getting out of his door when he saw Mr Monzo ‘running’ towards the driver-side with a ‘large sword’. “He left marks of blood on the driver window where he smacked it,” added Mr Allan.
Police officers who raced to the scene tried to submit Mr Monzo using PAVA spray, then chased him into a nearby alleyway where PC Yasmin Mechen-Whitfield was struck three times with the sword leaving her badly injured, jurors heard. After support arrived, another officer, Inspector Moloy Campbell, was also injured. After entering the home of a family, Mr Monzo was disarmed and arrested.
Last week jurors heard Mr Monzo skinned and deboned his own cat before carrying out the alleged attacks, and was under the influence of cannabis. But, the prosecution say the psychotic state was self-induced and did not meet the threshold for diminished responsibility.
Mr Monzo has admitted possessing two swords but denies murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.
The trial under Mr Justice Bennathan continues.
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