Hainault sword attack – latest: Stabbed ‘hero’ thanks people who saved his life as Daniel Anjorin fund hits £100k

A man injured in the sword attack in east London has thanked the emergency services and his family for saving his life.

Henry De Los Rios Polania, 35, an IT engineer from Hainault, is currently in hospital after being stabbed in his home on Tuesday morning.

Mr De Los Rios Polania was described by his sister, Jessica De Los Rios, 31, as a “hero” for protecting his family from the assailant.

Samuel Montgomery reports:

A neighbour who witnessed the sword attack said the family of 14-year-old victim Daniel Anjorin family was in shock.

“Yesterday I spoke to the father and he was shocked,” she said, adding: “He had tears. We know them, just hello and hi, seeing the kids around, a very nice family.”

The neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said the events of Tuesday morning, which she saw unfold from her window, had impacted her daily life. “Since this happened, I don’t even want to go outside,” she said. “I can’t even sleep during the night.”

She also praised the emergency services for their swift response.

Daniel Anjorin’s next door neighbour has told of how she and others had tried to shout warnings to him before he was attacked but he could not hear them because he had headphones in.

The attacker initially confronted Aiste Dabasinskaite on Tuesday morning before attacking the 14-year-old.

She said: “We were shouting and waving towards Daniel... [but] he had his headphones in so he wouldn’t hear us. It just happened right before our eyes, it was horrible.”

She also extended her condolences to the family.

“It’s horrible isn’t it, poor boy, I feel really bad for his family,” she said.

“As my next door neighbour we used to say hello and wave at each other in the mornings when he left for school.”

On the outpouring of support from the local community, she said: “It’s lovely, it’s really nice, we’ve had people coming from all over, coming and putting flowers down. They’re really supportive, we’ve got a great community here, we never expected something like this to happen.”

Detective Chief Inspector Larry Smith, who is leading the investigation into the killing of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in Hainault, said previously: “This is an incredibly tragic incident that has resulted in a young boy losing his life and his family devastated. On behalf of the family, I would ask that their privacy is respected.

“This is a complex investigation due to the number of crime scenes, forensic evidence, hours of CCTV footage and witnesses we need to speak to. I know that many people will want answers and we are working to provide them as soon as we can. I would also echo previous calls for patience as my officers carry out a painstaking investigation to deliver justice for Daniel, his family, those injured and the wider community.

“We are starting to build a picture of what happened on Tuesday and I want to thank everyone who has come forward to share dashcam, doorbell and mobile phone footage with us.

“Likewise, thank you to witnesses, who were no doubt terrified by what they saw, and who have made vital contributions to our investigation. Anyone who has not yet spoken to police and has any information should contact us as soon as possible.”

Tributes have been flooding in for the schoolboy “who was always full of happiness and joy” after he was stabbed to death in a samurai sword attack on a suburban east London street.

Tens of thousands of pounds have already been raised for the family of Daniel Anjorin, 14, who was on his way to school on Tuesday when he was killed with a sword in Hainault.

A close friend of Daniel’s family said the teenager was “very much loved by everybody he came across... meant so much to a lot of people and will be dearly missed”.

A fundraiser set up by a friend of the late Daniel Anjorin’s family has surpassed £45,000 just a day after it was created.

The fund was created as a means of sending money to Daniel’s family after he died on Tuesday.

The goal of the fund is to raise £60,000. You can view the GoFundMe page here.

A group called Nigerians in the UK have paid tribute to 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who died on Tuesday.

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin following a samurai sword attack in east London.

Marcus Monzo, 36, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, having also been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.

Wearing a grey tracksuit, he appeared with four prison officers and spoke to confirm his name.

A fundraiser set up by a friend of the late Daniel Anjorin’s family has surpassed £45,000 just a day after it was created.

The fund was created as a means of sending money to Daniel’s family after he died on Tuesday.

The goal of the fund is to raise £60,000. You can view the GoFundMe page here.