The heartbroken family of murdered schoolgirl Elianne Andam broke down as her teen killer was yesterday jailed for life. Elianne, 15, was described by her doting parents as a driven girl “full of potential” who harboured dreams of becoming a lawyer. Her mother Dorcas said she would have gone on to achieve “the greatest things” but her future was snuffed out when was repeatedly stabbed with a kitchen knife in a row over a teddy bear. She described the killing as “senseless, monstrous, and evil”.
Yesterday she watched as cowardly killer Hassan Sentamu sobbed as he was told he would spend at least 23 years behind bars. Angry shouts erupted from the public gallery at the Old Bailey as sentence was passed. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told how the victim was a “hard-working, happy girl” with a “radiant smile”. She told the defendant: “Elianne was 15 when you murdered her, she will always remain just 15, she will never realise the potential of her life.”
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Elianne Andam, 15 (Metropolitan Police/PA) (Image: PA Archive)
The driver for his actions was his “short temper and aggressive tendencies” which combined with his “deliberate decision to carry a knife,” she added.
As he was sent down, there were angry shouts from the public gallery rejecting his earlier apology, saying: “You deserve to be spat on.”
Earlier a harrowing victim impact statement from Dorcas described her daughter as “vibrant, creative, and purposeful – the kindest, most loving daughter”.
She said: “Now the music has stopped, the laughter is gone. All that remains is a deafening silence.”
Addressing Sentamu directly, she said he had ruined her life when he killed Elianne in the most “deliberate”, “senseless” and “evil” way, saying: “The question that forever haunts me is why. What did she ever do to deserve such cruelty?”
Elianne’s father Michael described the helplessness and horror of having to live with the guilt of not being able to protect his daughter “whose voice was cruelly silenced”.
He said: “No parent should ever have to bury their child let alone in such a violent manner.
“I could not protect her, that guilt will weigh on my heart for the rest of my life.”
At an earlier trial the Old Bailey heard how Sentamu, then 17, from New Addington, attacked her outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London, on September 27, 2023.
Elianne was killed during a meeting at the Whitgift Centre to exchange belongings with Sentamu’s ex-girlfriend, who was her friend.
It was there he flew into an “explosive rage of savage violence”, the court heard.
Sentamu’s relationship with one of Elianne’s friends had ended and the shopping centre rendezvous was intended for an exchange of the ex-couple’s possessions.
Hassan Sentamu, 18, who was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Thursday of the murder of 15 year-old Elianne Andam (Met Police/PA) (Image: PA Media)
The friend brought a bag of Sentamu’s clothes but he failed to bring her possessions, including a beloved teddy bear which she had left at his home.
Sentamu had left home carrying a knife after feeling “disrespected” by a group of girls the day before, after they had thrown water at him because they did not like the way he had treated their friend, his ex-girlfriend.
At his trial in January a jury heard he wanted revenge and when Elianne snatched a bag containing his belongings – an apparent show of support for her friend – he chased her before stabbing her multiple times. Her hand was held by a hero bus driver who watched helplessly as her life slowly ebbed away.
Alex Chalk KC, prosecuting, said: “He was angry, 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.”
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.
Sentamu was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 14 and spent some of his teenage years in foster care, in a pupil referral unit and in a special educational needs school.
The court heard he had a troubled and disruptive childhood, with reports of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and violent behaviour with knives.
The killer had previously been cautioned for taking a knife to school, and, while awaiting trial for Elianne’s murder, threatened to “do it again”, the court heard.
Hassan Sentamu was caught on CCTV running away from the scene holding a knife (Met Police/PA) (Image: PA Media)
Uganda-born Sentamu declined to give evidence in his defence, but the court was told of his troubled childhood.
He was given a police caution at the age of 12 after producing a knife in school.
Other abusive and violent behaviour 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?”
In mitigation, Pavlos Panayi KC said there were no words that could “minimise, justify or excuse” such a “horrific” crime.
Referring to Sentamu’s troubled background, he said: “Hassan’s violent streak, his anger, his outbursts, did not come out of nowhere. He was not born with them. They come from his lived experiences from when he was a little boy.”
Sentamu, now 18, admitted manslaughter, claiming he was not in control of his actions because of autism, but a jury did not accept a defence of diminished responsibility after deliberating for nearly 12 hours. He was also convicted of illegally possessing a knife.
According to The Ben Kinsella Trust, which seeks to tackle knife crime through education and campaigning, there have been 262 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2024. The charity says 57 people aged under 25 were murdered with a knife or sharp object in the same period with 17 under the age of 16.
The Andam family have vowed to dedicate their lives in the fight against the scourge of knife crime.
Mr Andam said: “We will be sharing her story and working toward a world where no family has to endure such heartbreak.
“This trial has been our fight for justice, forcing us to confront the devastating details of Elianne’s final moments, details that will remain with us forever.
“Elianne’s life mattered, and her legacy will live on in our hearts forever.”