The 17-year-old boy charged with the murder of Elianne Andam outside the Whitgift Centre last September entered a not guilty plea at an Old Bailey hearing this morning.
Killed in the street: Elianne Andam
He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
The boy, who cannot be named because he is under 18, also pleaded not guilty to possessing a blade in a public place.
Andam, who was aged 15, was repeatedly stabbed while walking to school, and died near a Wellesley Road bus stop during the morning rush hour.
The teenaged defendant appeared at the Central Criminal Court via videolink. He now faces a murder trial at the Old Bailey from November 25.
Police responded to the incident on September 27 within two minutes. Andam, wearing her Old Palace school uniform, was attacked with a foot-long knife and was stabbed in the neck.
As the attacker fled the scene, others attempted to administer first aid but she could not be saved. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The defendant was arrested in New Addington at 9.45am the same day.
Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, previously said: “It was, the prosecution allege, a brutal attack.”
Elianne Andam was one of 11 people killed on the streets of Croydon in 2023. Four of the victims were aged 20 or younger.
Read more: ‘Our failure can be read on the headstones of dead youth’
Read more: Croydon in 2023: London’s borough with most murder victims
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
He was carrying a foot long knife… what else was he intending to do with if? Absolute disgrace if he gets away with manslaughter. Need to show intent to kill but what else does such a knife show?
He also pleaded not guilty to possessing a blade.
We must be careful not to prejudge an active case, Ian.
Respect to IC for vetting comments. Perhaps anything other that those showing sympathy for all concerned and our benighted town, should be spiked?
Our rules are clear and consistent. We won’t publish anything that is untrue.