Hassan Sentamu, 18, was found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Elianne Andam after a dispute over the return of a teddy bear. Sentamu armed himself with a knife and attacked Elianne outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, south London, in September 2023.
A teenager, Hassan Sentamu , has been found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Elianne Andam after a row over a teddy bear . The 18-year-old attacked Elianne with a kitchen knife in 'white-hot anger' at being disrespected. He had been due to return items, including a teddy bear , to Elianne's friend following their break-up but instead came armed, wearing two pairs of gloves and a facemask.
Elianne collapsed outside the Whitgift Centre in central Croydon, south London, after being repeatedly stabbed in what police described as a 'frenzied' attack, which was caught on CCTV, on 27 September 2023. Her friend compared Sentamu to a character from the Netflix crime drama Top Boy and said Elianne had her hand out begging him to 'stop'. He threw his gloves and mask in a bin and hid the knife in a garden but was arrested within 90 minutes after police stopped a bus near his home in New Addington. Sentamu, who was 17 at the time, admitted manslaughter but denied murder on the basis of 'loss of control' because he has autism. There were sobs and shouts of 'yes' and 'murderer' from the public gallery as he was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10 to two, while he stood propping himself up with both arms in the dock and crying. He was also found guilty on a charge of having a blade. Sentamu had also denied this charge - claiming he had a lawful reason for carrying it. He will be sentenced on 13 March. Grime artist Stormzy was among thousands of mourners who gathered at a candlelit vigil after Elianne - who went to the private Old Palace of John Whitgift School - was killed, and there is now a memorial to her at the scene. Elianne's father Michael Andam said the verdict sends 'a message that violence and knife crime, especially toward young women, will not go unanswered'. 'Our world was shattered, and our hearts were broken by the senseless and violent loss of our beloved daughter,' he said. '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.' Mr Andam said the verdict is the 'first step' towards justice for his daughter, adding: '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.'Weeks before the killing, Sentamu had said: 'The real me is evil, dark and miserable' in a message to a friend. The day before the attack, he had met Elianne and her friend, who had recently split up with him, at the Whitgift Centre, where the girls 'teased' him and his ex-girlfriend splashed him with water. Sentamu, who was studying sports science at Croydon College, later sent what police called a 'chilling' message to a friend saying: 'I can't let this slide bro.' He met Elianne, his ex-girlfriend and another of their friends the following day to swap belongings. The girl handed him a plastic bag of his clothes, but he did not have her teddy bear as arranged, and Eliane snatched the bag back. A Snapchat video shows Elianne smiling and laughing before her expression turned to 'abject terror,' jurors were told. Sentamu pulled the kitchen knife from his trousers and repeatedly stabbed her four times, plunging the blade 12cm into her neck.Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC earlier told jurors Sentamu was 'angry… having brooded on the insult and he took the knife to the scene to reassert dominance'
MURDER TEENAGER KNIFE CRIME LONDON Croydon ELIANNE ANDAM HASSAN Sentamu TEDDY BEAR VIOLENCE
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