Teenager found guilty of murdering Croydon schoolgirl Elianne Andam in row over teddy bear
16 January 2025, 14:30 | Updated: 16 January 2025, 16:16
Eighteen-year-old Hassan Sentamu has been found guilty of murdering schoolgirl Elianne Andam in south London, in a row over her friend’s teddy bear.
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A jury at the Old Bailey rejected his defence that autism meant he wasn’t in control.
15-year-old Elianne, from Croydon, had gone with her friend to swap belongings with her ex-boyfriend Sentamu on September 27, 2023, before school.
But when he failed to bring her teddy to the meeting point, by the Whitgift Shopping Centre, aspiring lawyer Elianne went to grab a bag back containing some of his clothes.
It led to a vicious attack, as Sentamu - two years older than her - stabbed her in the neck with a kitchen knife.
Writing her eulogy, Elianne’s parents said she “believed and advocated for total justice and hated unfairness and all forms of injustice.
"A value she was demonstrating when she met her untimely death.”
Read more: Schoolgirl Elianne Andam, 15, stabbed in the neck ‘by friend’s ex-boyfriend in row over teddy bear’
Elianne Andam seen on Snapchat
Hassan Sentamu, who was studying sports science at Croydon College, admitted manslaughter but denied murder, on the basis of diminished responsibility, as he claimed his autism spectrum disorder caused him to lose control during the meeting.
At the Old Bailey, prosecutor Alex Chalk KC said Sentamu had flown into a rage, having seen an argument they had the day before as disrespectful.
He said: "He exacted vengeance on a young girl clearly running away from him and posing no threat."
He added that there was no evidence that autism caused Sentamu to lash out in "frenzied murderous violence”.
Footage shows arrest of Hassan Sentamu
During the trial, Elianne’s friend, who can’t be named for legal reasons, said: "He looked at me and said, 'I don't want to hurt you'... not in an emotional way... like he's warning me.
“I was saying 'Where's my teddy? Where's my teddy? Where's my teddy?’
"At first I was laughing a bit because it was a joke and then I got scared because then Hassan got mad."
She went on: "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 Elianne on the floor, like backing up with her hand out, basically saying 'stop, stop, stop' and I'm pretty sure I saw him bend and like try and do something else, like stab her again."
Hassan Sentamu seen running after Elianne Andam
Becky Woodsford from the Metropolitan Police led the investigation into Elianne’s death and told LBC: “I have never worked on an incident that shocked the community like this did.
“You don’t expect when you say goodbye to your loved one in the morning that their life is going to be snatched away in such a violent and horrific way.
“When I arrived at the scene, the shock and the trauma of the community was apparent but actually they opened their door to the investigation team and they supported everything with us.”
Hassan Sentamu provided no comment during his police interview and police say he never gave a reason for why he took a knife out with him on the morning that he met Elianne and her friend.
Asked if he wanted to say anything to Elianne’s parents, Sentamu responded: “No.”
Becky Woodsford said: “We’ve come so far in the law around zombie knives and sentencing around knife possession and we’re moving in a really good place but actually in this instance it was a kitchen knife.
“How do we stop youths - or anybody - using household items which are available to everybody.
"I think until we understand why this happened and why a knife was taken out, we’re never going to be able to really answer those questions.”
Hassan Sentamu seen leaving scene
During the trial, it had emerged that Hassan Sentamu had told inmates at HMP Oakhill, while being held on remand, that he “will do it again”.
The court also heard of a number of previous incidents involving Sentamu and knives. In 2018, the jury heard he took a knife to school and threatened to stab himself in the chest.
On a school trip in 2019, he threatened a classmate with a knife and while living with a foster carer he threatened to chop off the cat’s tail.
Following the verdict, Elianne’s parents, Dorcas and Michael Andam, said: “On September 27, 2023 our world was shattered, and our hearts were broken by the senseless and violent loss of our beloved daughter, Elianne Andam.
"At just 15 years old she had her whole life ahead of her, filled with hopes and dreams for the future - all cruelly taken away from her and from us. Her death has left a void in our lives that can never be filled.
"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. While today’s verdict acknowledges the full extent of his actions, it cannot bring Elianne back to us.
"The verdict today is the first step toward justice for Elianne, but also a message that violence and knife crime, especially toward young women, will not go unanswered.
"Today, we choose not to dwell on the pain of the trial but instead to honour Elianne’s memory. She was a bright, kind, and loving soul who embraced life, her faith, and her belief in standing up for what was right. We think about her every moment of every day, cherishing her love and the joy she brought to everyone around her.
"We are deeply grateful to our family, friends, Church, local community, legal team, and the countless well-wishers who have supported us with their prayers, love, and encouragement. Your kindness has been a source of strength during this unimaginable journey.
"As we begin the long process of healing, we reflect on this verdict not as an end but as a step toward change. We will continue to fight against the violence that took Elianne from us, sharing her story and working toward a world where no family has to endure such heartbreak.
"Thank you for standing with us in love and solidarity. We ask for privacy as we grieve and strive to find peace. Elianne’s life mattered, and her legacy will live on in our hearts forever."
Lib Peck, the director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, told LBC: “I think cases like this cause anybody to stop and think about the society we’re growing up in.
“For our team it re-emphasises the importance for us around prevention and the work we do around parents, ensuring kids are in school, because it’s safer when you’re in school, the activities we provide after school and of course around youth workers.
“One of the things we’re doing work around is neurodiversity and around those communication challenges. It’s a relatively new programme so it’ll be fascinating to see the results of it.
“But we also need to recognise that sometimes those challenges which are different for different young people aren’t addressed in a big school environment and it’s those kids who slip through and those kids who become most vulnerable to violence.”
