A man appeared in court on Thursday charged with the murder of a schoolboy in east London and stabbing a man in a house with a four-year-old child inside.
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, 36, from Newham, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article. Daniel Anjorin, 14, died on Tuesday after he was attacked walking to school in Hainault.
The dual Spanish-Brazilian national appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in custody on Thursday. He was holding up an injured left arm to his shoulder.
Dressed in prison issue grey tracksuit he spoke only to confirm his name and address.
He said: “My full name as of my recollection is Marcus Aurelio” he told the court.
Monzo is accused of crashing a van into a fence in Laing Close just before 7am on Tuesday and then attacking two members of the public with a sword.
It is alleged he then killed Daniel before seriously injuring two police officers as they tried to stop him, one of whom nearly lost her hand.
Monzo was initially taken to hospital after he was injured crashing the van.
Prosecutor David Burns told the court Monzo was accused of “horrific” attacks.
He said the attack on Daniel came after he slashed a person on the street, after running his car into a house. He is then said to have entered the property, where a four-year-old and her family were asleep, before stabbing a male with a samurai sword.
According to the prosecution, he allegedly shouted: “if you don't believe in god I’m going to cause harm“ as he burst into the family home.
He said that 15 minutes after the first attack: “He approached Daniel walking to school… he has run up behind him in the neck area he then took the sword and slashed him in the chest area.”
“Officers gave chase he has jumped out of a bush at her(the police officer) …he has caused serious injuries… he was tasered.”
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring adjourned the to the Old Bailey on 7 May.
The schoolboy’s family told Sky News he was “a wonderful child” who was “well loved” and “hard working”, adding that his death “leaves a gaping wound in the family”.
“No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today,” they told the broadcaster.
“Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
Staff and pupils at Bancroft’s, an independent school where the schoolboy attended said they have been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at his death.
