An 18-year-old has been found guilty of murdering a teenage schoolgirl in a row over a teddy bear.
Hassan Sentamu stabbed 15-year-old Elianne Andam in the neck outside south , on September 27 2023.
The defendant, who declined to give evidence, claimed that his autism spectrum disorder had caused him to lose control before stabbing Elianne with a kitchen knife outside the Whitgift centre in Croydon.
The court that Sentamu had a history of attacking girls and carrying knives and, while awaiting trial for Elianne’s murder, had threatened to “do it again”.
The prosecution claimed the teenager had reacted to being splashed with water the day before and had lashed out at the 15-year-old in a fit of “white hot” rage.
“He was angry on September 27, having brooded on the insult and he took the knife to the scene to reassert dominance,” prosecuter Alex Chalk KC said.
“He exacted vengeance on a young girl clearly running away from him and posing no threat.”
The 18-year-old used a kitchen knife to stab the 15-year-old schoolgirl (Image: PA)
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The prosecution rejected the assertion that Sentamu’s autism had affected his ability to exercise self-control, saying neither the diagnosis or his troubled background provided an excuse for murder.
A jury found the 18-year-old guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two and unanimously guilty of possession of a blade following a three-week trial at the Old Bailey today, January 16.
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.
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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.
The 18-year-old was found guilty by a jury verdict of 10 to two (Image: PA)
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.