Teen who stabbed schoolgirl at bus stop in row over teddy guilty of murder

A teenager who stabbed a schoolgirl to death in a row over a teddy bear at a bus stop in south London has been found guilty of murder.

Hassan Sentamu, 18, attacked 15-year-old Elianne Andam with a kitchen knife outside a bus stop outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon town centre on September 27 2023.

She had gone there with a friend so the other girl and Sentamu could return each other’s belongings after breaking up – but he refused to hand back her friend’s items.

The Old Bailey heard he lashed out at Elianne, who had accompanied her friend to the meet up, in a ‘frenzied murderous rage’, knifing her as she begged him to stop.

Elianne’s friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Old Bailey Sentamu had turned up to the exchange wearing gloves and a mask.

She said: ‘Elianne ran behind him, grabbed the bag and started running and laughing as a joke. It was the type of thing that Elianne would have done.

‘He then lifted up his hoodie quick, pulled out something and I saw a big knife.

Elianne was attacked while accompanying her friend to meet up with Sentamu (Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

A photo of knifes shown to the jury (Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

Hassan Sentamu stabbed Elianne in an act of ‘frenzied murderous violence’ (Picture: MyLondon/BPM Media)

‘I turned around for one second then I saw her on the floor like trying to say “stop”, basically with her hand out. He was there like over her, bending.’

Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC said: ‘He exacted vengeance on a young girl clearly running away from him and posing no threat.’

Sentamu fled the scene and discarded the knife with Elianne’s blood on it in nearby Cedar Road before taking the number 64 bus towards his home in New Addington.

Pc Alex Smith described the ‘scene of chaos’ when he arrived outside the Whitgift shopping centre on Wellesley Road.

CCTV image of Hassan Sentamu running from the scene holding a knife (Picture: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire)

He told jurors: ‘There were people screaming, shouting, people running away. I knew a serious incident had occurred.’

Sentamu pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter.

He did not give evidence during the trial, but jurors heard psychiatric evaluations to help them reach their verdict.

His defence claimed his autism spectrum disorder caused him to lose control.

But the prosecution argued there was no evidence to suggest his autism caused him to lash out in a ‘frenzied murderous violence’.

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