The first police officer to confront the Hainault attacker has described the moment his colleague was slashed with a sword as they chased him down an alleyway. 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.
At the Old Bailey on Tuesday (June 10), first-responder PC Cameron King told jurors about the moment he turned around to find Mr Monzo wearing a yellow jumper holding a ‘long sword’, repeatedly shouting ‘Do you believe in God?’. Asked how he felt, PC King said: “Petrified.” PC King tried to use his PAVA spray, an irritant like pepper spray, but it failed to have any effect on Mr Monzo.
“I recall the look in his eyes was very blank,” PC King told the jury, “He could see I was there but he was almost looking through me.” Describing the sword, PC added: “The length of it was coming quite far away from his body. I could see the light glistening of it, which meant it was very sharp.”
Jurors were shown body-worn camera footage of PC King telling Spanish-Brazilian Mr Monzo ‘drop the sword, drop the f**king sword’. In a statement, another officer said the PAVA spray was ineffective due to the wind. After chasing Mr Monzo to an alleyway, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield took the lead as she had already drawn her TASER.
But as PC Mechem-Whitfield got close, Mr Monzo stepped out and attacked her, jurors were told. PC King said he saw Mr Monzo ‘come down in a chopping motion’ on her. After attempting to use his PAVA, which had run out, PC King said he drew his baton and put himself between Mr Monzo and Ms Mechem-Whitfield to halt the attack.
PC King told jurors Mr Monzo continued asking about their religious convictions, while he returned ‘some expletives’ to demand he drop the weapon. Another police officer said he saw PC Mechem-Whitfield holding her bloody head while PC King gave her first aid.
‘I am Jesus’
Jurors previously heard how Mr Monzo then ran into the home of a couple with their four-year-old daughter, attacking a male before running off and being backed into a nearby garage by police.
Another officer, Inspector Moloy Campbell, then suffered a hand injury as they tried to stop Mr Monzo, jurors were told. Mr Monzo was eventually chased onto a garage roof and disarmed and arrested.
Once Mr Monzo was handcuffed and restrained by his legs, an officer said they could hear him saying ‘Do you believe in God?’, ‘Allahu Akbar’, and ‘I am Jesus’.”
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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