Alex Chalk, right, prosecuted Hassan Sentamu, 18, for the murder of Elianne Andam (Image: PA)
A defeated Tory has opened up about his harrowing role in an “appalling” after he returned to the courtroom as a prosecutor when booted out of Parliament.
, decided to return to the legal profession after losing his Cheltenham seat during the last year.
One of the former justice secretary’s early cases on his return to the law was the prosecution of Hassan Sentamu, 18, who was found guilty of in Croydon, south London, last year.
The ex-Lord Chancellor told the Old Bailey that Sentamu “brooded” on an insult and “took the knife to the scene to reassert dominance”.
Instead of exchanging a teddy bear with his ex-girlfriend as planned on the day of the killing, the teenager donned a mask and gloves and armed himself with a knife from under the sink in his kitchen.
For the first time ever a former Lord Chancellor has returned to being a criminal barrister talks frankly about prosecuting the murderer of a 15 year old school girl over a teddy bear
— Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky)
The court was told Elianne got caught up in the drama, with Sentamu chasing and stabbing her on the ground outside Croydon’s Whitgift Centre – inflicting a 12cm wound to the neck.
A passing bus driver held Elianne’s hand and stayed with her as she died in the street.
Speaking to Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr Chalk described it as “genuinely the most appalling case” and one he had been personally affected by.
He added: “Anybody who’s a criminal barrister, you see some horrible, horrible things. You have to harden your heart, get on with it and do a job, but this was an affecting case.
“There was a dispute over a teddy bear of all things and there was this video that she posted about a minute before she was killed, and you saw she was bright and cheerful and happy, and seconds later she was hacked down.”
Former Justice Secretary says there shouldn’t be further cuts to the MoJ budget ‘You’d see confidence in the justice system and the ability to get justice for crimes like rape just ebbs away.’
— Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky)
Sentamu is due to be sentenced on March 13.
It is believed to be the first time a former justice secretary and Lord Chancellor has returned to being a criminal barrister.
Also in the interview, Mr Chalk urged – himself a former lawyer – not “undermine” the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) with “lazy, across-the-board cuts”.
He thinks the MoJ’s budget should be protected during a time when it has faced and court backlogs.
He warned that if there are cutbacks: “You would find a situation where confidence in the criminal justice system, of people’s ability to get justice for appalling crimes like rape just ebbs away.
“For small savings, you’d be doing disproportionate damage.”
Not all defeated Tory MPs have found it easy to find work after being booted out of Parliament.
In October, the former Stoke-on-Trent MP Jonathan Gullis said he was , claiming the education profession viewed like him with “disdain”.