Elianne was a pupil at Old Palace of John Whitgift independent school in Croydon
A teenager repeatedly stabbed a private schoolgirl to death in a row over his ex-girlfriend’s teddy bear, the Old Bailey has heard.
Hassan Sentamu attacked 15-year-old Elianne Andam with a 12 cm kitchen knife when she tried to recover the soft toy following her friend’s break-up in a “gesture of solidarity”.
The 18 year-old sports science student had arranged to meet up with his former girlfriend in a car park in Croydon before school in September last year to exchange personal items.
But while the schoolgirl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, kept to her side of the bargain and handed over his belongings, Mr Sentamu refused to return the teddy bear.
Elianne – a pupil at Old Palace of John Whitgift independent school in Croydon – was “aggrieved on her friend’s behalf” and grabbed the toy from Mr Sentamu before running off, jurors were told.
But the defendant chased her, cornered her and then stabbed her multiple times, causing injuries that were unsurvivable.
The Old Bailey heard how Mr Sentamu has admitted killing Elianne, but denies murder, claiming his autism, which was diagnosed in 2020, and his disrupted childhood, meant he was not fully responsible for what happened and is guilty only of manslaughter.
But opening the trial at the Old Bailey, Alex Chalk KC, said the prosecution would argue that the defendant’s autism did not explain his actions.
Addressing the jury, he said: “Having heard the evidence you may feel the catalyst for his dreadful attack was rather more simple: anger. White hot anger at having been disrespected in public by girls.”
He went on: “Hassan Sentamu had a short fuse, as you will hear, and on Sep 27 [2023] at 8.30 in the morning, he reached the end of it.
“And his calculated decision to bring a knife to the scene meant that the consequences of that outburst for Elianne and her family were utterly devastating.”
Mr Sentamu, who was wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie, sat in the glass-walled dock as the case began, fidgeting with a green stress ball.
The jury was told that Mr Sentamu, who was just 17 at the time of the killing, and his girlfriend had been in a relationship since June 2023 but had split up around ten days before the killing.
Following the break up, the couple had arranged to meet so they could exchange belongings and the court heard, the girl had been very keen to get her teddy bear back.
On the morning of the killing, Mr Sentamu travelled to the Whitgift Shopping Centre by bus, but was carrying a concealed knife, jurors heard.
Having met up with his ex-girlfriend, he had demanded his possessions be returned and she handed him a plastic bag, but when he refused to return her things – including the teddy bear – Elianne grabbed the bag and ran off.
Mr Chalk said: “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 12 cm knife into her neck, severing the carotid artery and causing injuries that were unsurvivable.
“Despite the rapid arrival of the emergency services and intensive efforts over the course of nearly an hour, Elianne died at the scene. She was 15-years-old.”
The jury was told that the attack was captured on CCTV as was the defendant running from the scene and disposing of the knife.
He was arrested at home less than 90 minutes later.
Mr Sentamu denies murder and possessing a blade in a public area and the trial, which is estimated to last three weeks, continues.