A London jury has found 37-year-old Marcus Aurelio Arduini-Monzo, a Spanish-Brazilian national, guilty of the murder of 14-year-old British-Nigerian schoolboy, Daniel Anjorin, in a harrowing attack that shocked the nation.
The verdict was delivered at London’s Central Criminal Court following a high-profile trial that revealed chilling details of a violent rampage that occurred on April 30, 2024, in the Hainault area of northeast London. Arduini-Monzo, a former Amazon delivery driver, ambushed Daniel just meters from his home, fatally attacking him with a 2-foot samurai sword as the boy returned from school wearing headphones.
The court heard that Arduini-Monzo was in a state of cannabis-induced psychosis during the 20-minute spree, during which he also injured four others, including a police officer who sustained life-altering injuries. He was convicted of murder, three counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article.
Prosecutors presented CCTV footage and police bodycam recordings, painting a disturbing picture of the attack. Arduini-Monzo admitted to owning the swords but denied intent to kill, claiming he intended to display them. The jury rejected this defense, holding him fully accountable for his actions.
Kirsty O’Connor of the Crown Prosecution Service stated, “The jury, by their unequivocal verdicts, have accepted the prosecution case. Our hearts go out to Daniel Anjorin’s family and friends, who have suffered his unimaginable loss in horrific circumstances.”