Daniel Anjorin: Murder accused Marcus Monzo wanted to kill, court told

The man accused of stabbing a 14-year-boy to death in east London had “a clear intention to kill,” a jury has heard.

Marcus Monzo, 37, denies murdering Daniel Anjorin as the schoolboy left his home and walked to school in Hainault at 07:00 BST on 30 April last year.

The defendant is also accused of hurting five other people who were seriously injured during the 20-minute attack. He denies a total of eight charges, including four counts of attempted murder.

On the first day of the trial at the Old Bailey, the jury heard Daniel had suffered a “devastating and unsurvivable injury to his face.”

Warning: this story contains details some may find distressing

Opening the prosecution’s case, Tom Little KC said Mr Monzo had “a clear intention to kill a number of people… it did not matter who they were, or indeed how old they were.”

Mr Little said Daniel did not know the defendant and was “just 14 years of age”.

“He had left home and was just walking to school, minding his own business, looking forward to the day ahead when he was killed by the defendant.

“His life was snuffed out in an instant.”

The prosecutor added: “He should have been able to walk to school safely.

“He was wearing school sports clothes and he had his backpack for school on. He put some headphones on.”

Mr Little continued by telling the court that Mr Monzo must have seen Daniel and “moved quickly like a predator” behind him.

“He lifted the sword above his head and then swung it downwards towards Daniel’s head and neck area. Daniel instantly fell to the ground,” he said.

The jury later heard that on the same morning, Mr Monzo broke into the home of a couple and the went to their bedroom where they were asleep with their four-year-old daughter.

The prosecutor said while holding the same sword he had used to attack Daniel, Mr Monzo began shouting at them “do you believe in God?”

“What happened must have been truly horrifying and confusing,” he said.

The jury heard that he continued shouting about God and attacked the male resident with the sword, only stopping when the couple’s daughter started crying.

The court was then shown police body camera footage appearing to show the officer using his baton to fight against the sword held by the defendant as he tried to disarm him, after he left the house.

The jury was also shown video from an ambulance appearing to show the defendant hitting the vehicle with the sword.

As police officers appeared, the court heard the defendant approached them brandishing his sword.

In further footage played to the jury, police are seen repeatedly shouting at him to drop his sword as they called for backup.

The defendant then asks them a number of times if there was “anyone here who believes in god”.

Officers appear to use pepper spray on Mr Monzo, but he keeps hold of the sword and runs off, being chased by the officers.

Mr Little told the court Mr Monzo’s behaviour was triggered “by self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs” which led to a psychotic disorder.

He added the defence’s case was that the defendant was “most likely suffering from a pre-existing condition which created a vulnerability to experiencing psychotic episodes with schizophrenia-like symptoms, prompted by his use of cannabis”.

Mr Monzo also denies wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon relating to a kitchen knife.

The trial continues.