Teenager sentenced to life in prison for murder of schoolgirl

A teenager has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of a school girl in Croydon.

Hassan Sentamu, who was 17 at the time, stabbed 15-year-old Elianne Andam after Setnamu and his ex girlfriend had a disagreement following a break-up.

What happened when Sentamu killed Elianne Andam?

The court heard how Sentamu stabbed Elianne at the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon on the 26th of September 2023 after she grabbed a bag of items from him.

At the time, Setamu had ended his relationship with Elianne's friend and had arranged to swap items at the shopping centre that morning.

At the meet up, Sentamu said he didn't have the items to trade for his things. In a social media video shown to court in the minutes before the stabbing, Elianne can be seen saying her friend was being taken for a 'mug'.

The court was then told she grabbed a bag of Hassan Sentamu's items from him and began to run away whilst laughing.

Hassan Sentamu then chased after Elianne and, as the prosecution described, cornered, caught and stabbed Elianne a number of times before fleeing.

Witnesses told the court Elianne fell to the floor and members of the public and police officers began to give her CPR until an ambulance arrived. Elianne was then declared dead at the scene.

Hassan Sentamu was arrested within 90 minutes after the stabbing when a police officer stopped the bus he was travelling in New Addigton.

"Working toward a world where no family has to endure such heartbreak"

After the verdict, Elianne's family gave a statement outside of the Old Bailey, saying "We will be sharing her story and working toward a world where no family has to endure such heartbreak".

Her father Michael Andam said "This trial has been our fight for justice, forcing us to confront the devastating details of Elianne's final moments, details that will remain with us forever.

"Elianne's life mattered, and her legacy will live on in our hearts forever."

You can hear the latest news on Kerrang! Radio.