A Spanish-Brazilian national was remanded in custody on Thursday by a London magistrates’ court on murder and other charges, following a sword attack in the city which killed a 14-year-old boy.
Marcus Arduini Monzo is accused of a violent rampage in a northeastern suburb of the British capital on Tuesday using a Samurai-type sword which left teenager Daniel Anjorin dead and wounded four others.
Monzo, 36, allegedly attacked Anjorin while the teen walked to school, in a crime that has caused shock in the nation.
He is also accused of seriously injuring two police officers, both of whom required surgery and remain in hospital.
One, a woman, suffered severe injuries to her arm and nearly lost a hand, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
It charged Monzo, of east London, on Wednesday with murder, two counts of attempted murder and several other charges.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, and holding his left arm across his chest.
He spoke slowly to confirm his name.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldpsring remanded him in custody to appear at London’s Old Bailey court on Tuesday if a hearing is not available on Friday.
The horror rampage unfolded just before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) on Tuesday when the accused is alleged to have crashed a van into a house fence, hitting a 33-year-old man before allegedly stabbing him in the neck.
He is then alleged to have attacked a 35-year-old man inside a nearby property, causing lacerations to his arm, before Anjorin was killed.
Police arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the first emergency call and attempted to neutralise the suspect with incapacitant spray and a Taser gun but these had little effect.
The man fled again as terrified witnesses took cover in houses before police again used a Taser to overpower him, detaining him 22 minutes after the initial call.
Police have said the attack was not terror related and have not commented on the suspected motivation.
AFP
