A London court on Thursday sentenced an 18-year-old to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing a 15-year-old girl during a dispute over a teddy bear.
Hassan Sentamu was handed a minimum jail term of 23 years for the murder of Elianne Andam in Croydon, south London, as she made her way to school in September 2023. The attack stemmed from a row between Sentamu and his ex-girlfriend over returning personal items, including a Teddy Bear.
Sentamu, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was found guilty of murder and possessing a knife in January.
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb condemned his actions as senseless and evil, saying Sentamu acted out of short temper and aggressive tendencies.
“Elianne was 15 when you murdered her. She will always remain just 15,” the judge said, adding that Sentamu showed no remorse as he mercilessly continued the attack while the victim begged for mercy.
Sentamu, who had reacted with “white-hot rage” after feeling mocked by the girls the previous day, appeared distressed in the dock, holding his head in his hands and wiping away tears. The case is among a series of fatal knife crimes involving teenagers that have shocked the country. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described rising knife violence as a national crisis.
Elianne’s father, Michael Andam, said he was haunted by thoughts of his daughter’s final moments. “The thought of her final moments torments me—wondering if she was calling out for me, hoping I would save her—but I wasn’t there. I couldn’t protect her,” he told the court.
Her mother, Dorcas Andam, remembered Elianne as a kind, loving daughter who dreamed of becoming a lawyer and enjoyed singing and braiding hair.
“Now the music has stopped, the laughter is gone. All that remains is a deafening silence,” she said in a victim impact statement.
