Samurai sword killer of boy, 14, 'screamed in delight' during rampage
12 June 2025, 13:16
The killer of a 14-year-old boy was heard screaming "in delight" during his samurai sword rampage in London.
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A witness has described killer Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, as screaming "in delight" after mortally wounding the schoolboy who had been wearing his PE kit with his earphones on.
Monzo is on trial charged with murdering Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute ‘brutal string of attacks’ in Hainault, north-east London, on 30 April last year.
Monzo is also accused of skinning and deboning his pet cat Wizard, as well as attaching two police officers, a pedestrian, and a couple in their own home.
A witness has told the court after the attack Monzo "fell to his knees [and] raised both his arms to the sky".
"At the time of doing so he let out an extremely loud scream. It wasn't a scream of pain, it was a scream of delight - my interpretation was he was celebrating," the witness said. "His eyes and mouth were wide open when he screamed."
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Afterwards, Monzo is said to have likened events to the Hollywood film franchise The Hunger Games, and claimed to have an alternative personality of a "professional assassin".
Police officer Inspector Moloy Campbell has told jurors he was "disappointed" to be injured as he tried to stop the swordsman who allegedly murdered Daniel.  
On Thursday, Mr Campbell told jurors how he was injured as he tried to detain Monzo.
Before arriving at the scene, he heard on the radio that one of his colleagues had been stabbed.
Once he was waved down, Mr Campbell sprayed Monzo but the defendant "blocked" the move and "came for" the officer, jurors heard.
Mr Campbell said: "I dropped my spray and drew my baton. I struck him or attempted to strike him. I believe I connected with him at least twice.
"Mr Monzo was slashing at me with a large sword. He made contact with my hand and certainly with my bodyworn camera."
Asked how he felt, the officer told jurors: "I was disappointed to put it bluntly because it meant I could not carry on what I was trying to do.
"It was frightening. I remember my priority to try to carry on."
He said he saw blood when he looked down at his hand and his baton was also covered in blood.
Previously, the court has heard how Monzo launched a series of attacks by driving his grey Ford Transit van into Donato Iwule, who was "catapulted" into a nearby garden before the vehicle smashed into a concrete pillar and fence.
He went on to hit Mr Iwule in the neck with his sword before running away, it is alleged.
He then virtually decapitated Daniel, who was wearing headphones on his way to school, jurors have heard.
Jurors were shown further CCTV and police body-worn camera footage of Monzo running through the residential area armed with a Samurai sword.
PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield pursued the armed defendant through a series of alleyways through residential properties, the court heard.
Monzo struck her three times with the sword that had a 60cm blade using "extreme force", the prosecutor said.
It is alleged the defendant also entered a property and attacked a couple who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with their young daughter nearby.
Forensic pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl told jurors that Daniel's injuries were "absolutely unsurvivable".
Mr Fegan-Earl added that Daniel's cause of death was sharp force trauma to the head and that Monzo had used "an extreme level of force".
Monzo denies Daniel's murder and the attempted murders of Mr Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Ms Mechem-Whitfield, as well as wounding Mr Campbell with intent.
He also denies aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife.
Monzo previously admitted two counts of having an offensive weapon, namely two swords.
