Marcus Monzo is sentenced to life with a minimum term of 38 years over a sword attack in which he murdered schoolboy Daniel Anjorin in Hainault
The 37-year-old, of Satanita Close, Canning Town, also injured five more people, including two police officers, during a 20-minute rampage in April 2024
Monzo had also been found guilty of three counts of attempted murder, wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon
Daniel was a "gifted" child with "so much potential", the 14-year-old's father told the court earlier
Emotions ran high, reports Lucy Manning from the Old Bailey, as we heard from Daniel's family and other victims of Monzo's 20-minute rampage
Warning: This page contains details that some readers may find distressing
'No verdict or sentence can bring back our son,' says Daniel's father
Lucy Manning
Special correspondent, reporting from the Old Bailey
Daniel Anjorin’s parents have just returned to court for the sentencing, along with some of those injured that day, including Henry De Los Rios Polania and Inspector Moloy Campbell.
Eight members of the jury are also hear to listen to the sentencing.
Marcus Monzo, who was found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, will soon be receiving his sentence. Stay with us, as we'll be bringing you updates.
You can also watch the proceedings in court by pressing watch live at the top of this page from 14:00 BST.
Image source, PA MediaDaniel Anjorin was just 14 years old when he was fatally wounded with a 60cm (24in) sword wielded by Marcus Monzo on 30 April 2024.
The schoolboy, who was walking down the residential street he lived on, wearing his Bancroft's PE kit and headphones, was unaware of Monzo's presence as he made his way to his school that morning in Woodford Green.
In the days after his death, Daniel's school described him as a "true scholar" who had a "positive nature and gentle character".
Daniel was also a keen Arsenal fan.
The club paid tribute to Daniel during a Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on the Saturday after his death.
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
As we've been reporting, this morning’s hearing has been focused on the defence and prosecution’s submissions to the judge ahead of a sentence being passed later today.
Marcus Monzo sat in the dock throughout. Wearing a green jumper, he rose only to confirm his name for the judge as the proceedings began.
From where I was sitting with other members of the press, I saw no signs of visible emotion from him – either as the victim impact statements were being read out or as his defence barrister spoke on his behalf.
He was looking ahead throughout and following what was being said.
While we wait for the second part of the sentencing hearing at 14:00 BST, here's a reminder of the crimes Marcus Monzo was found guilty of.
In addition to being found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, the jury found Monzo was also guilty of:
During the trial, the 37-year-old admitted to carrying two samurai swords but denied all other charges.
Watch: Footage released by police showing Marcus Monzo unboxing a katana sword.
The court is currently on break, ahead of the sentencing of Marcus Monzo, who was found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, amongst other offences.
So far, we've heard from Daniel's father, who told the court how his son had "so much potential to excel".
Henry De Los Rios Polania, who was injured in the Hainault attack, listened in tears. He told the court he is "learning how to live again" after the attack in April last year.
We then heard from Insp Moloy Campbell, who received a slash wound to his hand as he tried to disarm Monzo. He said the memory of the radio transmission on the day of the attack still "makes me shiver".
Monzo's barrister then told the court that if the attacker "could turn back the clock, he would".
We'll be covering the sentencing, due at 14:00 BST, so stick with us.
Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter
This first half of the sentencing hearing is now over.
The judge has listened to the aggravating factors from the prosecution's point of view, listened to the victim impact statements and the mitigation provided by Marcus Monzo's defence barrister.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan will now go away to his chambers for a few hours and consider everything before passing his sentence.
This is the portion of the hearing that will be streamed live and you can watch it on this page from around 14:00 BST.
Until then, we will recap what we have heard this morning and bring you more background on the case.
Lucy Manning
Special correspondent, reporting from the Old Bailey
After the victim impact statements were read out and the court rose, the Anjorin family and the victims who had heard or read their statements gathered outside the courtroom.
There was particular emotion from Inspector Moloy Campbell and his family, after he and his officers were praised by the judge for their bravery.
Also from Henry De Los Rios Polania, who was injured while defending his family in the bedroom after Monzo burst in.
The judge will hand down his statement when court resumes this afternoon at approximately 14:00 BST.
Nick Johnson
Reporting from the Old Bailey
In mitigation, Marcus Monzo's defence barrister says the defendant has sent a letter to the judge.
Ian Henderson KC tells the court: "No matter what was in that letter, it couldn't even begin to scratch the surface. The letter is a combination of remorse, bewilderment and non-comprehension."
He goes on to say that his "defendant finds himself in a position where he understands what happened, the consequence, the impact on others, but the reason for it he finds difficult to grasp.
"If he could turn back the clock, he would."
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
Warning: This post contains details that some readers may find distressing.
Insp Moloy Campbell delivered his own impact statement to the court.
He stood in uniform at the witness box and spoke of his oaths and duties as a police officer.
He tells the court his memory of the radio transmission on the day of the attack still "makes me shiver".
Insp Campbell says it wasn't "normal police talk" but "panic and fear". He describes losing a huge amount of blood and says his hand now remains tender and easily hurt.
Addressing Marcus Monzo directly, he tells him his actions "have not and will not" suppress the determination of him and his officers to maintain the high standards expected of them by the public.
The judge intervened at this point to say that, in his view, "you can be incredibly proud".
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
Henry De Los Rios Polania's victim impact statement has just been read to the court. He was in tears as it was done so.
Polania calls the day of the attacks one "that changed my life", saying he was left with a trauma "he never asked for".
He adds he is not just a victim, but a survivor "learning how to live again".
Los Rios Polania has been unable to return to work since the attack and is still dealing with PTSD and panic attacks.
He says his world feels "smaller and less secure", and there's not a single day where he doesn't feel the impact of what happened.
While this was being read aloud, Monzo looked ahead from the dock with no visible emotion.
As a reminder: Los Rios Polania was injured when Monzo burst into his Hainault home. His wife and four-year-old daughter were sleeping when he brandished a sword. The 35-year-old suffered serious hand injuries as he fought off the intruder.
Nick Johnson
Reporting from the Old Bailey
Listening to Daniel Anjorin's father's victim impact statement is Henry De Los Rios Polania - one of the other victims injured in the Hainault attack.
He is in tears as it is read out.
Insp Moloy Campbell - who engaged in face-to-face fighting with Monzo as he tried to disarm him - is also very emotional listening to the family statement.
Lucy Manning
Special correspondent, reporting from the Old Bailey
Daniel’s father wrote a very moving victim impact statement on behalf of his family.
He and his wife listened in an extremely dignified manner as the prosecuting barrister Tom Little KC read out the words.
It’s clear how much the whole Anjorin family has been affected. He spoke about how the most painful moments are seeing the loss in his other children’s eyes.
He had words also about Marcus Monzo, saying he believed he was “a danger to society” who had shown no remorse or apologised for what he had done.
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
We have just heard a personal statement read out on behalf of Daniel Anjorin's father.
Describing the moments following the attack, he says he ran across the road to a "hunched up body" he didn't initially realise was Daniel until he recognised the school sports clothing he was wearing.
Ambulance workers and paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, he adds.
He tells the court Daniel had a "close relationship" with his siblings - describing him helping his younger sister with homework.
Daniel was "gifted" educationally and had recently been selected by his school to attend an excursion to the University of Cambridge, he says.
Daniel had "so much potential to excel", the statement adds.
"No family should have to go through this."
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
This morning's hearing will initially dwell on legal matters regarding how the judge will come to an overall sentence for Marcus Monzo.
But we are getting a flavour of the things the judge will consider. He references the fact that the murder victim was a child - 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin.
"That in my mind is the major aggravation," he says. The judge adds his job today is to assess the seriousness of the offending and the extent to which good character and the defendant's psychotic state on the day reduces that.
The prosecution also draws the judge's attention to Monzo's cannabis use.
They argue this is also an aggravating factor, calling it a "driver of this offending".
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
The courtroom has begun sitting for the hearing.
Marcus Monzo stood to confirm his identity and now sits in the dock watching the proceedings.
The prosecutor starts by explaining his plans for the morning portion of the hearing - which will include both his representations regarding sentence and victim impact statements.
One of those victim impact statements we expect will come from Inspector Moloy Campbell, to be read from the witness box.
My colleague Lucy Manning has interviewed Insp Campbell ahead of today's sentencing.
As a reminder, the sentence itself won't be handed down until later this afternoon.
Lucy Manning
Reporting from the Old Bailey
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, has just entered the court.
Daniel Anjorin’s parents and some of the other victims who were injured that day are sitting in court seven waiting to hear the impact statements and the judge’s sentencing remarks.
Half of the jurors who found Marcus Monzo guilty have also returned to hear the sentencing.
Cachella Smith
Reporting from the Old Bailey
Marcus Monzo has just entered the dock inside courtroom seven of the Old Bailey.
The 37-year-old is wearing a green jumper and appears calm.
All the media are seated in the courtroom.
We are moments away from his sentencing hearing getting under way.
Before the sentencing hearing gets under way, we do need to give a warning that throughout our coverage, there will be aspects of details which some readers may find distressing.
Image source, Getty ImagesProceedings are about to get under way at the Old Bailey, which starts at 10:30 BST.
During the first stage, we will hear:
In this part of the hearing we might hear also hear impact statements read on behalf of the victims' family members. This section won't be on camera - but we'll be bringing you live updates from the court in text.
The judge already said this week when delivering the jury’s guilty verdict that Monzo would be facing a life term when he returns to court for sentencing today - but the minimum number of years he will serve will be delivered by the judge today.
The court will then break, and when it returns, Mr Justice Bennathan will deliver Monzo's sentence.
This is the part of the hearing that will be streamed - and you’ll be able to watch along live from 14:00 BST.