Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, to a minimum of 38 years and 309 days in prison for the brutal murder of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin during a terrifying 20-minute rampage in Hainault, east London, last April. The case, which shocked the community and the entire country, unfolded on the morning of April 30, 2024, when Daniel was ambushed while walking to school in his PE kit.
Daniel’s father, Dr Ebenezer Anjorin, gave a harrowing victim impact statement at the Old Bailey, describing the moment he found his son lying motionless in a pool of blood with a deep, fatal cut stretching from the side of his mouth to the back of his neck. "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 recounted. The devastating scene was compounded by the arrival of Daniel’s mother, Grace Anjorin, who screamed and cried as paramedics desperately tried to save their son.
Daniel was described by his family as a gifted, kind-hearted boy whose academic potential and generous spirit touched everyone who knew him. He excelled in sports such as football, rugby, hockey, and cricket, and was an accomplished musician, having reached grade six in violin and grade five in piano. His parents emphasized the cruel loss of all the milestones Daniel would never reach — from exams and university to marriage and children — underscoring the profound grief that has enveloped their family.
Monzo’s rampage was fuelled by a drug-induced psychosis, primarily triggered by cannabis use, the court heard. Before the attack, Monzo had killed and skinned his pet cat, Wizard, a chilling prelude to the violence that followed. Armed with two swords, he first ran down a pedestrian, Donato Iwule, with a van and then launched into a savage spree that left Daniel dead and five others injured, including two police officers and a couple in their home.
The police officers, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield and Inspector Moloy Campbell, suffered serious injuries. PC Mechem-Whitfield was struck three times with the sword, requiring four operations and is still unable to return to duty. Inspector Campbell was also wounded and has not regained complete movement or feeling in his hand. The couple, Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania, were attacked in their own home during the chaos.
Witnesses described Monzo’s chilling behavior during the attack. Maria Olmos, who observed the assault on Daniel, reported that Monzo dropped to his knees and let out a loud scream of delight after inflicting the mortal wound. Monzo later likened his actions to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative persona as a “professional assassin.”
Despite Monzo’s claims of having no memory of the events and diminished responsibility due to his mental state, the prosecution argued that psychosis brought on by self-induced intoxication was no defense for murder. Notably, no traces of DMT — the class A drug in the hallucinogenic ayahuasca tea Monzo admitted to drinking — were found in his system. Jurors took three days to deliberate before finding him guilty of murder, three counts of attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article. He was cleared of one count of attempted murder but convicted of the lesser offense of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan condemned Monzo’s actions, stating that he had inflicted an “unsurvivable wound” on Daniel and devastated a peaceful, busy morning scene as people left for work and school. The judge praised the bravery of the police officers who risked their lives to protect the public during the rampage.
Outside the court, Daniel’s parents expressed their heartbreak and gratitude that justice had been served, even though no verdict or sentence could bring back their beloved son. “This has been a painful and deeply traumatic chapter in our lives,” they said. “Daniel was taken from us in a way that no family should ever have to endure.”
Dr Anjorin described the family’s ongoing struggle to cope with the loss, including undergoing counseling to face the “worst nightmare experience” of losing a child in such a cruel and savage manner. He emphasized that Monzo was a “danger to society” who showed no remorse or apology for his actions.
The community continues to mourn Daniel, whose life was marked by kindness, academic promise, and a generous spirit. His parents honored his memory not in the shadow of tragedy but through the love and happiness he brought to those around him. They extended their deepest thanks to the police, prosecution team, and all who worked tirelessly to seek the truth, as well as to the friends, family, church members, workplaces, schools, and strangers who supported them through this ordeal.
The case of Marcus Arduini Monzo stands as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of drug-induced psychosis and violent crime, as well as the resilience of a family determined to honor their son’s legacy amid unimaginable loss.
