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A teenager has been found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Elianne Andam by stabbing her in a row over her friend’s teddy bear.
Hassan Sentamu, 18, had met with Elianne and her friends at a bus stop in Croydon town centre to swap belongings with his ex-girlfriend, who was part of the victim’s group. However, after he showed up without the toy an argument ensued which led to him stabbing the schoolgirl in a fit of “white-hot anger”.
Sentamu, who was studying sports science at Croydon College, had admitted manslaughter but denied Elianne’s murder on the basis of “loss of control” because he has autism.
But he was found guilty after jurors deliberated for 11 hours and 42 minutes, and was also convicted of possession of a bladed weapon. Upon hearing the verdict, members of Elianne’s family broke down in tears while others shouted “murderer” from the public gallery.
Jurors heard that 10 days before the killing, Sentamu had broken up with his girlfriend by text, telling her: “Ur energy is dead I’m not rdy for a relationship…all the best (sic).”
When she asked for her teddy bear back, they agreed to exchange items with the youth responding: “Ur wasting my time do you want your thingy or not?
“If everything isn’t in the bag your not gonna get your dumb little bear. (sic).”
After the girl reported his attitude back to her friends, Elianne responded: “He’s so rude.”
On the day before the killing, it was arranged for Sentamu to meet the girl and her friends at the Whitgift Centre, where it was said that they “teased” him and threw water over him.
That night, the killer “brooded” over what had occurred and told one of his friends: “Bro, I can’t let this slide.”
On the morning of 27 September last year, he armed himself with a kitchen knife and travelled to the Whitgift car park, where his ex-girlfriend handed him a plastic bag of his belongings.
Despite their agreement, he arrived empty-handed and replied that he did not want to hurt her, when she asked: “Where’s my teddy, where’s my teddy?”.
Jurors were shown a short mobile phone video selfie in which Elianne appeared to be caught up in the drama and called her friend a “mug”, moments before her smile turned to “abject terror”.
Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC said: “Elianne was aggrieved on her friend’s behalf. So, at around 8.30am whilst Hassan was walking outside the Whitgift Centre, Elianne took the plastic bag back.
“It was a gesture of solidarity with (her friend) that cost Elianne her life.
“The defendant chased after her, cornered her and used the kitchen knife to stab her repeatedly.
“He drove the knife 12cm into her neck… causing injuries that were unsurvivable.”
Recounting the incident to police, his ex-girlfriend said: “He then lifted up his hoodie quick, pulled out something and I saw a big knife.
“I turned around for one second then I saw her on the floor like trying to say ‘stop’, basically with her hand out. He was there like over her, bending.”
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Elianne was pronounced dead at the scene and was identified by her schoolbag and planner.
Sentamu ran away and disposed of the knife, before being arrested less than 90 minutes later.
The court heard that her death followed a catalogue of incidents of violent and aggressive behaviour by the defendant, which included taking a knife to school, putting girls in a headlock and expressing a desire to harm a cat.
On 2 September last year, Sentamu sent a message to a friend questioning whether he was “worth enough to live”, jurors heard.
He wrote: “Whenever you see me it’s never really me, it’s a persona I put on. The real me is evil, dark, and miserable.”
At the age of five, Uganda-born Sentamu came to the UK to live with his three sisters and mother who had fled domestic abuse.
When he was 11, he reported being physically abused and beaten with a metal pole after briefly attending boarding school in Uganda. Between 2019 and 2021, he lived in foster care after being left home alone and his mother said he was “beyond her control”.
He was permanently excluded from one school after he threatened another child with a knife during a farm trip because he felt he was being mocked.
In June 2019, he threatened to stab another student with a pair of scissors over perceived insults at a mainstream school in Croydon.
The following year, he was placed in a school for students with special education needs after leaving marks on a girl’s neck, but continued to struggle with his temper.
In October 2022, his mother called police to report he had become angry, locked himself in his room and covered the walls with washing-up liquid.
The month after Elianne’s death, Sentamu got into a row with a fellow inmate at Oakhill Secure Training Centre in Milton Keynes, jurors were told.
On being accused 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? I’ll do the same again.”
However, the prosecutor said the teenager’s background could not sensibly be used as an “excuse” for the murder of the defenceless victim, who was acting in solidarity with her friend.
He pointed out that law-abiding members of society with a similarly difficult start in life might be offended at any suggestion it was a “get out or free pass”.
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