Hassan Sentamu, the 18-year-old accused of murdering Elianne Andam, 15, asked a fellow prisoner ‘do you want to end up like her, 6ft under?’ just two weeks after her death, a court heard
The teen accused of murdering schoolgirl Elianne Andam asked a fellow prisoner “do you want to end up like her, 6ft under?”, a court has been told.
Jurors previously heard how Elianne, 15, was knifed to death when she turned up with a friend to collect a cuddly toy from the friend’s ex-boyfriend Hassan Sentamu, 18, in an exchange of belongings.
In a gesture of “solidarity” to her friend, Elianne grabbed back Sentamu’s belongings from him as he had failed to bring the teddy bear to the meeting near the Whitgift Centre in Croydon on September 27, 2023.
Sentamu had brought a knife to the scene after the girls had splashed him with water the day before, it was heard, and stabbed year 11 pupil Elianne in the neck. He admits manslaughter by diminished responsibility but denies murder, claiming he lost control of himself due to his autism.
The court heard Sentamu was involved in an angry altercation with another prisoner at Oakhill Secure Training Centre on October 12, 2023 – two weeks after Elianne’s death. When the other prisoner repeatedly accused Sentamu of killing girls, jurors were told he responded: “I’ll do it again. I’ll do it to your mum. Do you want to end up like her, 6ft under? I’ll do the same again.”
Reading facts agreed between prosecution and defence, prosecutor Alex Chalk, KC, explained the police officer who arrested Sentamu said he was “smiling and joking” and was more interested in asking him if he enjoyed his job. Mr Chalk said: “At the end of his first interview, he was asked if there was anything he would like to say to Elianne Andam’s family. He answered: ‘No.'”
Jurors heard that Sentamu was moved from school to school as a child after a history of violence and incidents with knives, and in one incident in Year 7 brought a knife into school. “He produced the knife during a lesson, pointed it at his chest, and told the teacher that he hated his life, and wanted to kill himself,” Mr Chalk said. Sentamu received a police youth conditional caution for possession of a bladed article after the incident.
In February 2019, a social worker visited Sentamu at home and found him alone with a bag packed by his mother. His mother was contacted and said social workers should “take him away”, and he was placed into foster care.
He had previously reported his mother had attempted to strangle and beat him. He remained in foster care until December 2021, when he was returned to the care of his mother.
In June 2019, following perceived insults from another student, jurors were told Sentamu took scissors from a staff member’s desk and announced that he was going to stab the student. Mr Chalk said: “He did not do so. He was noted to be in a heightened state of distress and required significant support for the situation to be de-escalated. He eventually calmed down. He said he did not want to get excluded from school and would not hurt the other pupil.”
Following this he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Sentamu, of Croydon, denies murder and having a bladed article in a public place.
The trial continues.
