Dad protected himself in Hainault sword attack with ‘pillows and teddy bears’

'I believe a miracle happened in that room.'

A father shielded his wife and daughter from the Hainault sword attacker using ‘pillows and teddy bears’.

Henry De Los Rios Polania, 35, an IT engineer from the northeast London suburb, was sleeping when a man brandishing a blade broke into his home on April 30.

The family woke up to see the man inside their home, with Henry suffering injuries to his hand as he fought off the assailant.

Four others were injured in the stabbing spree, including two police officers and Daniel Anjorin, 14, a boy ‘full of joy’, his family said, who died of his injuries.

Henry told the BBC it was an ‘ordinary’ night – his wife fell asleep watching TV – that ended with a man looming over them.

He said: ‘I thought I was going to die… even my wife and child. We thought we were going to die that morning.

‘I believe a miracle happened in that room.’

Henry searched for something to battle the attacker with only to find ‘pillows and teddy bears’, but stressed to the broadcaster he can’t reveal what happened that night while police investigate.

‘I protected my family,’ Henry said, adding: ‘I will do everything for my family.’

He was released from Royal London Hospital yesterday but will need to go for check-ups after he underwent a 10-hour surgery to reconstruct his hand.

A finger that doctors feared could be lost will recover, he said.

Just before 7am, police received reports of a vehicle being driven into a house and several being stabbed in Hainault.

Among them was Daniel, who suffered fatal wounds to his neck and chest.

More than 300 people gathered for a vigil for Daniel on Sunday.

‘I feel so sorry for his family… When I got close to the ambulance, I saw him on the floor… It shouldn’t have happened,’ said Henry.

He hasn’t returned to his home since the incident, adding that his family are considering moving.

Henry added: ‘We need to continue with our lives. All I know is that the next house I’m going to get into, I’ll just make it really safe.

‘I don’t want anyone to come from the outside.’

Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, a dual Spanish-Brazilian national living in Newham, was charged with murdering the teenager and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week.

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