‘Sword killer’ attacked man in home while four-year-old girl slept, court told

A 36-year-old man charged with the murder of a teenage schoolboy during a sword attack also broke into a nearby home where a four-year-old girl was asleep and attacked her father, a court has heard.

Marcos Aurelio Arduini Monzo, 36, appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on Thursday accused of murdering Daniel Anjorin, 14, a pupil at Bancroft’s independent school, as he left his home on Tuesday.

Mr Monzo, who is listed at Companies House as the former director of a real estate company, was charged by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday night over the attack on Tuesday morning.

The Spanish-Brazilian dual national, from Newham, east London, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.

Wearing a grey tracksuit, Mr Monzo spoke only to confirm his name during a seven-minute hearing.

He was allowed by the judge to stay seated as he held his left hand to his chest, spoke slowly and appeared to struggle to follow the court’s instructions.

It is alleged that Mr Monzo crashed a van into a fence in Laing Close just before 7am on Tuesday, hitting a member of the public.

The court was told that he then got out of the van, said that he would kill the man and slashed him in the neck.

David Burns, prosecuting, told the court that 15 minutes later it is alleged Mr Monzo broke into a nearby home where a couple were asleep with their four-year-old daughter.

Mr Burns told the court Mr Monzo went into the bedroom and attacked the child’s father, shouting about believing in God and causing injuries to his neck and arm, it is alleged.

The prosecutor said: “He has then left the scene and attacked Daniel Anjorin, a schoolboy on his way to school.”

Mr Monzo is accused of running up behind Daniel and slashing his neck, before stabbing him in the chest as he lay on the ground.

Police officers arrived and tried to help the teenager, when it is alleged that Mr Monzo appeared from a bush and they chased him.

The court was told that he jumped out at a female officer and attacked her with the sword while she was on the ground.

He is also accused of injuring a second officer.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on May 7.

Daniel’s parents are understood to be Dr Ebenezer Anjorin, a 59-year-old health and safety consultant who worked at Transport for London for 20 years, and Grace Anjorin, a 49-year-old science teacher at the Holy Family Catholic School in Walthamstow.

The couple are believed to have two other children and the family regularly attends the Jubilee Church in Enfield.

Aiste Dabasinskaite, Daniel’s next door neighbour, said she and others had tried to shout warnings to him before he was attacked but he could not hear them because he had headphones in.

Mrs Dabasinskaite added: “We were shouting and waving towards Daniel as he came out. He had his headphones in so he wouldn’t hear us. It just happened right before our eyes, it was horrible.”

Bancroft’s School paid tribute to Daniel and said everyone has been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at his death.

The school described the Arsenal fan and talented maths student as a “true scholar” with a “gentle character” in a statement by his school in Woodford Green.

Only 10 months ago, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a 19-year-old former pupil at the same private school, was stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane during a spate of frenzied attacks in Nottingham that left two others dead.

Simon Marshall, the school’s head teacher, said that Daniel, who joined Bancroft’s at the age of seven, had demonstrated “commendable dedication to his academic pursuits” and had become a “core member of our community”.

He said his death “will have a lasting impact on us,” and added: “Losing such a young pupil is something we will always struggle to come to terms with.”

The school’s flag was flying at half-mast on Wednesday as pupils and parents brought flowers to lay at its front gates.