The father of schoolboy Daniel Anjorin has described the “worst nightmare” of finding his son mortally wounded in the street in the horror Hainault attack. The talented 14-year-old was fatally wounded with a samurai sword by Marcus Monzo minutes after leaving his home in Hainault, East London, on April 30 last year.
Monzo, 37, injured five more people, including two police officers, during a 20-minute rampage. On Friday, a victim impact statement by Daniel’s father Dr Ebenezer Anjorin was read out as Monzo appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced.
He said: “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, he said. “Soon after, we were approached by a paramedic who informed us that Daniel’s situation was critical and it was unlikely that he would survive.”
‘No family should have to go through this’
Mr Anjorin said he could not begin to describe the “pain and anguish” the family felt at losing Daniel. He said the teenager had been academically gifted, enjoyed sports and played the violin and piano.
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.
“It has been the worst nightmare experience of our lives. To have to go through the pain of losing a child in such a cruel and savage way. No family should have to go through this.”
He said Monzo was a “danger to society” and had shown no remorse or apologised for his actions on April 30 last year. He added that the “completely random, savage attack” on a school child had “shocked the community and the whole country”.
Following an Old Bailey trial, Monzo was found guilty of Daniel’s murder, the attempted murder of Donato Iwule, Sindy Arias and Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield. He was convicted of wounding Henry De Los Rios Polania with intent and wounding Inspector Moloy Campbell.
He was also convicted of aggravated burglary and having an article with a blade or point. He admitted possessing the samurai sword used to kill Daniel and a katana sword found in his van.
Mr Justice Bennathan will sentence Monzo at 2pm on Friday (June 27).
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