Teenager guilty of murdering schoolgirl Elianne Andam over teddy bear row

A young man has been found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Elianne Andam in a row over a teddy bear.

Hassan Sentamu, 18, had a history of attacking girls and carrying knives before he stabbed the popular schoolgirl in the neck outside the Whitgift centre in Croydon, south-east London.

Amid the public shock and outcry at the killing, rap star Stormzy joined members of the community at a candlit vigil for Elianne who aspired to become a human rights lawyer.

Elianne’s father Michael Andam, speaking outside the Old Bailey, said: “The verdict today is the first step towards justice for Elianne, but also a message that violence and knife crime, especially towards young women, will not go unanswered.”

At Sentamu’s trial, the prosecution claimed the teenager had reacted to being splashed with water the day before and had lashed out at Elianne in a fit of “white hot” rage.

Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC said: “He was angry on September 27, having brooded on the insult and he took the knife to the scene to reassert dominance.

“He exacted vengeance on a young girl clearly running away from him and posing no threat.”

The defendant, who admitted manslaughter, claimed his autism affected his ability to exercise self control and was therefore not guilty of murder.

However, the prosecution rejected the assertion saying neither his autism nor his troubled background provided an excuse for murder.

The trial heard Sentamu had a long history of volatile and violent behaviour, having been cautioned for taking a knife to school, and, while awaiting trial for Elianne’s murder, threatened to “do it again”.

Following a three-week Old Bailey trial a jury found Sentamu, from New Addington, near Croydon, guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two and unanimously guilty of possession of a blade.

There were shouts of “yes” and “murderer” from the public gallery as the jury delivered the verdicts after deliberating for 11 hours and 42 minutes.

Sentamu leaned against the front of the dock crying and wiping his eyes as Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb thanked and discharged the jurors.

Adjourning sentencing until March 13 for reports, the senior judge told the teenager: “I understand you must be very shocked and take time to get used to what has happened.”

Three dock officers supported the clearly distressed defendant as he was led down to the cells.

Members of Elianne’s family hugged as they left the courtroom.

The court had heard how Sentamu felt disrespected by Elianne after he split up with her friend.

About 10 days before the killing, Sentamu had text his then-girlfriend: “Ur energy is dead I’m not rdy for a relationship…all the best (sic).”

When she asked for her teddy bear back, he replied: “You can collect your ting on Wednesday before skl I’m gonna need my shit tho from the clothes to the pillows and flowers (sic).”

The girl had reported the exchange back to her friends, with Elianne commenting that he was “so rude”.

The day before the killing, Sentamu had met the girls at the Whitgift Centre where they “teased” him and his ex-girlfriend threw water on him.

The defendant, who was studying sports science at Croydon College, was splashed again and at least one of the girls joked that “tomorrow he would kill them all”.

That night, Sentamu seethed over what happened and told a friend: “Bro, I can’t let this slide.”

On the morning of September 27 2023, Elianne and her friends met Sentamu outside the Whitgift Centre before school for the planned exchange.

Instead to bringing the teddy bear, the defendant, then aged 17, donned a mask and gloves and armed himself with a knife from under the sink in his kitchen.

His ex-girlfriend handed over a bag of Sentamu’s clothes despite being alarmed that Sentamu was dressed like a character from the London-based crime drama Top Boy.

She asked where her teddy was and Sentamu replied that he did not want to hurt her and seemed “unbothered”.

In a short mobile phone video selfie, Elianne appeared to be caught up in the drama.

Sentamu’s ex-girlfriend told the court: “Elianne ran behind him, grabbed the bag and started running and laughing as a joke. It was the type of thing that Elianne would have done.

“At first I was laughing a bit ‘cos it was a joke and then I got scared ‘cos then Hassan got mad.”

Sentamu chased Elianne and stabbed her on the ground despite her pleas for him to stop, the court was told.

Elianne suffered a fatal 12cm deep stab to the neck and a passing bus driver held her hand and stayed with her as she lay dying in the street.

The stabbing was caught on CCTV and in the ensuing chaos, Elianne’s traumatised friends were able to tell police what happened and describe the killer who had fled and dumped the bloody knife.

An eagle-eyed police officer spotted him on a bus heading towards New Addington and arrested him within an hour and a half of the killing.

Uganda-born Sentamu had declined to give evidence in his defence but the court was told of his troubled childhood, after his mother fled domestic violence when he was young.

He was given a police caution when aged 12 he produced a knife in school, pointed it at his chest and told a teacher he wanted to kill himself.

Jurors heard a catalogue of abusive and violent behaviour which also included putting girls in a headlock, and threatening to harm a foster carer’s cat and chop off its tail.

The month after Elianne’s death, Sentamu got into a row after a fellow inmate at Oakhill Secure Training Centre in Milton Keynes accused him of killing girls.

Sentamu responded: “I’ll do it again. I’ll do it to your mum. Do you want to end up like her, six feet under?”

The court was told the defendant had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder, the effects of which would have been dampened by autism rather than inflamed, it was claimed.

Following the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Becky Woodsford, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, praised the bravery of Elianne’s family who sat in court and her friends whose information helped apprehend Sentamu quickly.

She told PA news agency: “I cannot imagine what they have been through but the bravery they showed in assisting us with that investigation and going through the trauma, I just think shows they were trying to look after their friend and stand up for Elianne and do what was right.”

She also praised the bus driver who comforted Elianne and held her hand as she died, saying it was important to her parents to know she was not alone.