A man has received a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering a 14-year-old schoolboy with a samurai sword in east London.

Marcus Monzo inflicted fatal injuries on Daniel Anjorin just minutes after departing his home in Hainault on April 30 of last year. The 37-year-old also caused injuries to five others, including two police officers, throughout a violent 20-minute spree.

Delivering the sentence at the Old Bailey, Judge Mr. Justice Bennathan characterized the wound Monzo dealt Daniel as “unsurvivable” while the boy was on his way to school.

The judge mandated that Monzo serve a minimum of 38 years behind bars.

He remarked to Monzo: “Your decision to use cannabis over a prolonged period was the primary factor that influenced your actions that day.

“You had prior indications of its negative effects on you, recognizing that it induced paranoia and potentially triggered panic attacks.”

He acknowledged Monzo’s “previous good character” as a mitigating factor but noted that such considerations were compromised by his long-term drug use.

Alongside the murder sentence of Daniel, Monzo faced additional convictions for several other offenses.

On Wednesday, a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of murdering the schoolboy from Woodford Green.

Monzo, a Brazilian-Spanish citizen, was likewise convicted of attempting to murder local residents Donato Iwule and Sindy Arias, in addition to police officer PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield during his 20-minute violent incident last April.

He was further convicted of wounding with intent against Insp. Moloy Campbell and Ms. Arias’s husband, Henry De Los Rios Polania.

The court viewed body-worn camera footage that depicted officers trying to disarm Monzo while suffering significant injuries in the process.

Witnesses recounted how the former Amazon delivery driver exhibited behavior that was “delightful” and smiling as he fatally attacked Daniel, who had been en route to school in his PE uniform.

During the trial, prosecutor Tom Little KC described it as “miraculous” that more victims did not lose their lives as Monzo indiscriminately slashed at anyone he encountered over the span of 20 minutes.

In the lead-up to his attack on April 30, Monzo had also killed and skinned his pet cat, Wizard.

PC Mechem-Whitfield was struck three times with the 60cm long blade with “extreme force” as she pursued Monzo through alleys and residential areas.

He then entered a home and assaulted a couple asleep in an upstairs bedroom, where their young daughter was nearby.

Monzo asked them if they “believed in God” before exiting the property.

Insp. Campbell recounted to the BBC how he attempted to apprehend Monzo in a car park and sustained a slash wound to his hand as he tried to subdue him.

Monzo then climbed onto a garage roof before he was finally captured.

After his arrest, Monzo claimed that his personality had changed and described the incident as if it were part of a game.

He likened the situation to the Hollywood film “The Hunger Games” and asserted he had an alternate persona of a “professional assassin.”

During his trial testimony, he stated he could not remember the events and argued that his mental state reduced his culpability for the crimes.

However, prosecutors contended that any psychosis resulting from self-induced intoxication did not constitute a defense against murder.

Although Monzo acknowledged consuming a hallucinogenic beverage known as ayahuasca, no trace of DMT—an illegal substance found in the drink—was discovered in his system.

A victim impact statement from Daniel’s father was presented before sentencing.

Dr. Ebenezer Anjorin recounted the day Daniel was killed, stating he departed for school at 7:00 BST, and a mere 15 minutes later, he received the news that his son had been stabbed.

“I rushed outside and noticed a hunched figure lying by the roadside,” Dr. Anjorin recalled. “At first, I didn’t realize it was Daniel, but as I got closer, the school sports attire and his face made it clear.

“He was lying in a pool of blood with a severe laceration from the side of his mouth to the back of his neck. He was motionless. I immediately understood he was dead, but I reached out, called his name, and cradled his head.”

The court also heard from Insp. Moloy Campbell, Mr. Polania, and PC Mechem-Whitfield, who provided their statements.