Grieving parents decry their daughter’s murderer for his ‘senseless, monstrous and evil’ actions
Murderer: Hassan Sentamu, 18, will serve a minimum of 23 years in jail
The Old Bailey judge in the murder case of Elianne Andam told the court at today’s sentencing hearing that the mural painted on Wellesley Road in memory of the Croydon schoolgirl sent a message from the community: “Put the knives down.”
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced 18-year-old Hassan Sentamu to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years, as he had taken a knife to the scene.
Sentamu, from New Addington, was 17 when he killed 15-year-old Andam by stabbing her in the neck outside the Whitgift Centre on the morning of September 27, 2023. Sentamu’s “frenzied” attack was caught on CCTV and seen by dozens of horrified passers-by and bus passengers.
Andam was stabbed 10 times, including fatally through the neck.
Sentamu had admitted manslaughter but denied murder, claiming diminished responsibility because of his autism. But in January a jury found Sentamu guilty of murder by a majority verdict.
This afternoon, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb addressed remarks to Sentamu: “Elianne was 15 when you murdered her. She will always remain just 15, she will never realise the potential of her life. The pain of her loss to her parents and younger brother is indescribable.”
Message from the community: the Old Bailey judge referred to the Elianne mural in her sentencing remarks
And referring to the mural outside the Whitgift Centre, the judge said, “Its presence marks the determination of the community as forcefully as they can – put the knives down.”
At his sentencing hearing today, it was revealed that Sentamu had attacked a child at Oakhill secure training centre while on remand. Prosecutor Ben Lloyd said Sentamu punched the victim in the face, knocking him to the floor.
Sentamu has a history of attacking girls and, at the age of 12, received a police caution after he had taken a knife to school.
Remarks made today by his defence lawyer, Pavlos Panayi KC, spoke of the real horror of the case. “A crime as horrific as this leaves no real room for advocacy,” the barrister said. “There are no words that can possibly minimise, justify or excuse anything Hassan Sentamu did.
“Hassan’s violent streak, his anger, his outbursts, did not come out of nowhere. He was not born with them. They come from his lived experiences from when he was a little boy.
“He has enough good in himself to recognise and hate himself for it.” The lawyer cited suicide notes at the time of the murder.
Sentamu had spent most of his life under the supervision of Croydon Council’s care system, including spells in foster homes.
Earlier in the sentencing hearing, Dorcas and Michael Andam, Elianne’s parents, had their victim impact statements read to the court by the prosecution lawyer. They called for the “strongest possible sentence”.
‘The silence is defeaning’: Elianne’s father Michael Andam (centre) outside the Old Bailey
The victim impact statement said: “Our home was full of her music, her laughter and her energy… But now, the music has stopped. The laughter is gone. All that remains is a deafening silence — a hollow, painful silence that echoes through every part of my life.
“My daughter was more than just a victim of a horrific crime. She was a beautiful soul — full of dreams, laughter and love… Her absence is a gaping wound that will never heal. Every morning, I wake up to the crushing reality that she is gone. I no longer hear her voice, feel her warm embrace, or see her radiant smile.
“The silence in our home is deafening.”
In her statement, Dorcas Andam addressed Sentamu: “Your actions were senseless, monstrous and evil.
“You left the scene without any remorse. Instead you tried to make excuses and cover your act with evil lies.
“You did not only kill Elianne, you killed me mentally and emotionally. We are left with nothing but pictures, videos. Your actions were senseless and evil.”
Michael Andam’s statement said: “No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone in such a violent manner. I could not protect her; that guilt will weigh on my heart for the rest of my life.”
Sentamu was arrested within 90 minutes of Andam’s murder, as he stepped off a bus after making his way home from Croydon town centre. He has remained in custody ever since.
Murder scene: aerial shots of the Whitgift Centre bus stop on Wellesley Road show the Met Police’s incident tent on the day in September 2023 when Elianne Andam was killed
Detectives from the Met’s murder squad trawled through 45 hours of CCTV footage to map Sentamu’s movements in the lead-up to the murder and after, when he fled the scene, discarding the knife he had used to kill her along the way.
Sentamu took his usual route home, catching a 130 bus before changing to a 64. As he got off the bus at Goldcrest Way in New Addington, he was spotted by a local police officer who asked him his name. Sentamu said “John”. The officer was suspicious, seeing what he thought might be blood stains, and he immediately arrested the murder suspect.
Detective Chief Inspector Becky Woodsford, who led the investigation, said: “Today marks the end of a very long journey for Elianne’s family and friends, and while this is the best outcome they could have hoped for, nothing will ease the immeasurable pain they continue to live with on a daily basis. Since Elianne was taken from them in the most incomprehensible way, they have been driven by a motivation to see her killer brought to justice. Getting to this point has been challenging for them, and I would like to pay testament to their continued dignity, determination and composure.
“In the moments before her death, Elianne was laughing and smiling, completely oblivious to Sentamu’s rage and the events that were about to unfold. She was simply standing up for her friend – doing what she thought was right. And this, it seems, was Elianne through-and-through. Someone who felt very strongly about right and wrong and was always there to support her friends.
Murdered: Elianne Andam’s ‘absence is a gaping wound that will never heal’ her parents said today
“My team worked tirelessly with our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure we presented the strongest possible case at court. This involved analysing hours of CCTV footage to piece together Sentamu’s movements before, during and after the incident – enabling us to establish where he had dumped the murder weapon which he was quickly forensically linked to.
“We may never know exactly what motivated Sentamu to carry out such an unspeakable act of violence in broad daylight and witnessed by horrified onlookers. But the actions he took in those split seconds robbed Elianne of her future and left a family and community grieving an unimaginable loss. It’s clear Sentamu is a dangerous and unpredictable individual and I am relieved he will remain behind bars for a significant period of time.”
At the time of her murder, Andam was in the school uniform of Old Palace School, where she had intended to go after the meeting which had been arranged at the shopping centre to retrieve the belongings of her friend, who had recently split up as Sentamu’s girlfriend.
When Sentamu refused to return the friend’s possessions, including a teddy bear, Andam snatched the bag containing his clothes and belongings. It was then that Sentamu chased after her and wielded the knife.
Read more: Elianne’s death left ‘a void in our lives that can never be filled’
Read more: ‘Our failure can be read on the headstones of dead youth’
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