A brutal attack in northeast London resulted in a life sentence for 37-year-old Marcos Arduini Monzo, who was found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in April 2024. The incident began with a 20-minute spree of violence, during which Monzo brandished a large samurai sword, shouting about faith while targeting innocent civilians and police officers alike.
On Friday, Judge Joel Bennathan described the peaceful morning scene, shattered by Monzo’s violent actions as he condemned the attack. Daniel was killed just steps from his home, wearing his school backpack when Monzo struck him from behind, delivering a fatal blow.
Monzo, who started his violent rampage by running over a pedestrian with a van, escalated the situation by attacking the victims with his weapon. After police officers arrived to address the mayhem, Monzo refused to surrender and struck an ambulance before turning on the officers, injuring several in the process.
Witnesses testified to the chaos as Monzo, influenced by drug-induced psychosis, inflicted terror on the community. Prosecutors revealed that he had killed his pet cat earlier that day and had a history of extreme views. Despite his online remarks, there was no evidence of political motivation behind the attack, which was attributed to his state of mind at the time.
Ultimately, Monzo was apprehended after a violent confrontation with law enforcement, who managed to subdue him using Tasers. He was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years before being eligible for parole, marking a tragic end to a senseless act of violence that deeply affected the lives of multiple families in the neighborhood.
