A teenager fatally stabbed schoolgirl Elianne Andam in a fit of “white-hot anger” following a dispute over her friend’s teddy bear, jurors at the Old Bailey in UK have heard.
Hassan Sentamu, 18, is accused of attacking Elianne with a kitchen knife in Croydon town centre on 27 September 2023 during a meeting with his ex-girlfriend and her friends, according to prosecutor Alex Chalk KC.
The altercation reportedly began with an exchange of personal items between Sentamu and his ex-girlfriend, which included a teddy bear belonging to Elianne’s friend.
“The catalyst for this dreadful attack was rather more simple: anger,” Chalk told the court. “White-hot anger at having been disrespected in public by girls, both by Elianne on the day of the killing and previously.”
Jurors heard that Sentamu, armed with a knife, left his home in New Addington and travelled to the Whitgift Centre that morning.
His ex-girlfriend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had brought a bag of his belongings to return to him.
However, the defendant arrived empty-handed, refusing to give back the teddy bear as promised.
Elianne, who was standing in support of her friend, took the bag of Sentamu’s belongings from him. In response, Sentamu allegedly chased Elianne, cornered her, and stabbed her multiple times, the court was told.
The prosecutor described the killing as a deliberate and angry act, rejecting Sentamu’s claim of “loss of control” due to autism, a condition he was diagnosed within 2020.
“The defendant has pleaded not guilty to murder on the basis of diminished responsibility,” Chalk explained, adding that autism and adverse childhood experiences “do not amount to an excuse, justification, or defence for Elianne’s murder.”
Sentamu, who was 17 at the time of the incident, has admitted to manslaughter but denies murder. He also denies unlawfully carrying a blade, claiming he had a “lawful reason” for possessing the knife.
The trial continues at the Old Bailey.
