Elianne Andam: Teenager guilty of murdering schoolgirl in Croydon teddy bear row
Share:
A teenager who stabbed to death schoolgirl Elianne Andam in a shocking knife attack during a row over a teddy bear is facing life in prison after being found guilty of murder. Hassan Sentamu, 18, was filled with “white hot anger” when he chased after 15-year-old Elianne and lunged at her with a kitchen knife outside a Croydon shopping centre.
Days earlier, Sentamu’s relationship with one of Elianne’s friends had ended and the shopping centre meeting was intended for an exchange of the former couple’s possessions. 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.
During the row that followed, Elianne grabbed Sentamu’s bag and ran a short distance away from him – apparently in a show of support for her friend. She was filming herself on Snapchat at the time, and the chilling footage shows her smile quickly evaporate in terror as Sentamu pulled out the knife he had secretly brought to the scene.
Sentamu tried to blame the stabbing on his autism diagnosis, suggesting he had unavoidably lost control before stabbing Elianne. But a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of murder, and the teenage now faces a life sentence. The murder shocked London when it was revealed how a schoolgirl had been stabbed in broad-daylight, with rapper Stormzy joining masses of mourners at a vigil for Elianne.
