Hassan Sentamu jailed for life

A teenager who repeatedly stabbed 15-year-old Elianne Andam in a row over a teddy bear has been ordered to spend at least 23 years in prison for her murder.

Hassan Sentamu, then 17, attacked the schoolgirl outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London, in September 2023.

Giving him a life term at the Old Bailey, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: “The pain of her loss to her parents and younger brother is indescribable. She will always remain just 15 – she will never realise the potential of her life.”

The court heard Sentamu had a history of attacking girls and carrying knives before he killed the popular schoolgirl outside the Whitgift Centre.

He had admitted manslaughter but was found guilty of murder and having a blade after a jury rejected his claim that autism affected his ability to exercise self-control.

The trigger for his actions was his “short temper and aggressive tendencies”, which combined with his “deliberate decision to carry a knife,” the judge said.

As Sentamu was sent down, there were angry shouts from the public gallery.