Jurors will hear more psychiatric evidence as the Elianne Andam murder trial resumes at the Old Bailey today (Wednesday, January 8). Hassan Sentamu, 18, is accused of murdering the 15-year-old schoolgirl in Croydon town centre in September 2023. The teenager denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to autism and claims he had a lawful reason for carrying a knife.
On Tuesday (January 7), Professor Nigel Blackwood, a forensic psychiatrist at King’s College London, told jurors he had diagnosed Sentamu with a conduct disorder, but this was not mutually exclusive with exercising self-control. Repeatedly asked by defence counsel Pavlos Panayi KC if Sentamu’s autism had ‘any’ effect on his ability to self-restrain, Professor Blackwood said ‘No’.
Mr Panayi also grilled the professor on whether his diagnosis would have changed had he seen a SnapChat video that was introduced into the evidence after his assessment of Sentamu. Professor Blackwood watched the video, which showed Sentamu being ‘teased and bullied’, but concluded it would not have changed his view on the teenager.
Professor Blackwood also said it was his view that the defence of diminished responsibility does not apply in this case. Asked by Mr Panayi if it’s normal for two eminent psychiatrists to disagree, Professor Blackwood said: “Not always. But in this case, yes.”
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