Father of murdered schoolboy Daniel Anjorin tells of ‘pain and anguish’
The father of murdered schoolboy Daniel Anjorin has described the “pain and anguish” of finding his 14-year-old son mortally wounded.
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In a statement, Dr Ebenezer Anjorin described the pain of losing Daniel, knowing he will not see him obtain his GCSEs, A-levels or go to university.
He said: "Daniel had so much potential to excel in so many areas, he could have been a great scientist, financier, or business founder.
“We will not see him get married or have children. All the normal things that parents hope for their children."
He said all the "hopes and aspirations" they had for Daniel were "cruelly snatched away" by Marcus Monzo, who was found guilty of Daniel's murder.
Dr Anjorin revealed the family have undergone counselling to cope with the devastating loss.
He said the horrific situation "is something that we would not wish on anyone".
He added: "It has been the worst nightmare/experience of our lives. To have to go through the pain of losing a child in such a cruel and savage way. No family should have to go through this."
In his statement, Dr Anjorin also described how he was informed by his eldest son that Daniel had been stabbed on the road near their house.
Dr Anjorin said he ran out the house and "saw a hunched-up body by the side on the road".
"I did not realise that it was Daniel at first but as I got closer, I recognised the school sports clothes and saw his face," he said.
"He was lying in a pool of blood and had a deep cut to his face running from the side of his mouth to the back of his neck.
"He was motionless. I knew at once that he was dead, but I reached down, called his name and held his head."
Dr Anjorin phoned Daniel's mother, who rushed back home. On reaching the top of the road, she saw Daniel being treated by the paramedics and "screamed and cried".
In his statement on behalf of the family, Dr Anjorin said: "I cannot even begin to describe the pain and anguish that we as family feel about the loss of Daniel."
He described Daniel as a "much-loved" son, and brother to two siblings who he was very close with.
Daniel was "very gifted academically" and enjoyed sport, playing football, rugby, hockey, and cricket.
He also enjoyed playing the violin and piano and had reached grade six in violin and grade five in piano, Daniel's father explained.
"He enjoyed school and had a good circle of friends", he said.
He added: “I ask that you do not forget who the victims are here, because the defendant is not. He deserves to be punished. He has murdered our much-loved and gifted son Daniel who had so much to live for, and is missed by his family and many school friends."
Monzo was found guilty of murdering Daniel and injuring five others during a drug-induced rampage on April 30 last year.
He had entered a state of psychosis brought on by his own cannabis use, the Old Bailey heard.
Witnesses described the former Amazon delivery driver screaming “in delight” and smiling after mortally wounding Daniel, who had been walking to school in his PE kit.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors it was “miraculous” that more people were not killed as Monzo slashed and chopped at whoever he came across.
Monzo had killed and skinned his pet cat Wizard before he ran amok armed with two swords.
As well as killing Daniel, Monzo, who had a blue belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, attacked pedestrian Donato Iwule, police officers Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield and Inspector Moloy Campbell, and couple Sindy Arias and Henry De Los Rios Polania in their home.
Afterwards, Monzo likened events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative persona of a “professional assassin”.