On April 30, 2024, there was a horrifying 20-minute rampage in Hainault, East London. Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, armed with a Samurai sword and Roman-type katana, embarked on a grisly rampage that began when he hit a pedestrian with his van near Laing Close. The rampage concluded in the brutal slaying of 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin, on his way to school, and hurt some others. Monzo has now been found guilty of murder and three attempted murders, a devastating blow to the victims' families and community.
/*Attack Unfolds: Timeline and Victims*/
The police video captured the horror: at around 06:50 BST, Monzo rammed his van into Donato Iwule, 54, a builder, and he went crashing into a garden. He leaped from the automobile and plunged a sword into Donato's neck, then chased Daniel Anjorin off. He listened to music on headphones, unaware of the danger, and was subjected to a near-decapitating slash to the neck and chest, his death later declared "devastating and unsurvivable". Monzo thereafter stabbed two police constables, PC Mechem Whitfield and Inspector Moloy Campbell, and broke into a house neighboring theirs, as he stabbed an asleep couple before vanishing into alleys behind homes. He was apprehended around 07:22 after police tased and overpowered him.
/*Perpetrator Profile and Motive*/
Newham dual Spanish-Brazilian national Monzo, a martial arts-trained loner familiar to friends formerly as composed, friendly, and talented, is exposed by prosecutors as having had a total mental collapse precipitated by prolonged cannabis use, hallucinogenic substances like ayahuasca, and fixations on conspiracy theories, samurai swords, and extreme right-wing ideologies. In the days leading up to the massacre, Monzo killed and skinned his cat, reportedly believing that it was a conduit for "negative forces," before arming himself and setting out to kill. His diminished responsibility defence was rejected by the jury, with undertakings that his psychosis had been self-induced.
/*Police Response and Heroic Intervention*/
The police officers' bravery in halting Monzo's attack was universally hailed. Met Chief Commissioner Mark Rowley described their "extraordinary courage," and assured that their courage "without doubt saved lives." Body‑cam footage shows Monzo striking officers as they chased him down residential side roads. PC Mechem‑Whitfield received three blows to the torso "with extreme force," Inspector Campbell recounting being poked with fists and shot before arresting Monzo. Two police officers sustained "life-changing injuries," paramedic assistance, and the deployment of a Taser, assisting in bringing the attacker down.
/*Court Sentence and Judgment */
Monzo was convicted of murder, three attempted murders, aggravated burglary, wounding with intent, and carrying an offensive weapon at the Old Bailey on 25 June 2025, rejecting his claim of a dissociative state. Prosecutor Tom Little KC commented, "It is miraculous more weren't killed" following the violent attack spree of the perpetrator. The court heard that Monzo had collected nineteenth-century Japanese swords, the weapons being unwrapped by him weeks previously in video footage. He is now facing a mandatory life sentence, to be delivered on Friday, 27 June.
/*Broader Context and Community Impact*/
The event has caused heated debate regarding induced psychosis, availability of guns and swords, and public mental health. Daniel's family and Hainault community remain shocked, the tragedy inspiring calls for stricter gun/sword control and drug abuse prevention. Schools throughout the borough boosted safety measures, while residents wonder how close life came to an even worse disaster. With sentencing looming, the case makes a lasting impression on East London.