A grieving father vowed knife crime will “not go unanswered” as a teenager was found guilty of murdering his 15-year-old daughter in a row over a teddy bear.
Michael Andam described Elianne Andam as a “bright, kind and loving soul” who dreamed of becoming a barrister. However, she was “cruelly taken away” when Hassan Sentamu, now 18, stabbed her in the neck outside a shopping centre.
Elianne had stood up for her friend, Sentamu’s ex, when a row erupted at a bus stop in Croydon, south London before school on September 27, 2023. When she had tried to get back her mate’s teddy bear, Sentamu, then 17, lashed out in “white hot” rage and repeatedly plunged the kitchen knife as she lay prone on the ground.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey, where Sentamu was found guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to two on Thursday, Dr Andam said: “The verdict today is the first step towards justice for Elianne, but also a message that violence and knife crime, especially towards young women, will not go unanswered.
“As we begin the long process of healing, we reflect on this verdict not as an end but as a step toward change. We will continue to fight against the violence that took Elianne from us, sharing her story and working toward a world where no family has to endure such heartbreak.”
Transgender teen stabbed after sex act in ‘sickening’ attack at roller disco
Elianne Andam, 15, dreamed of becoming a barrister
(
Image:
PA)
Hassan Sentamu faces life in prison after the senseless attack
(
Image:
Metropolitan Police)
It was a joint statement, from Dr Andam and Elianne’s mother Dorcas, who both made huge sacrifices to send their daughter to the £16,579-a-year Old Palace of John Whitgift independent girls’ school in Croydon.
Dr Andam, who is a care home manager, continued: “She was a bright, kind, and loving soul who embraced life, her faith, and her belief in standing up for what was right. We think about her every moment of every day, cherishing her love and the joy she brought to everyone around her.”
Sentamu, who was born in Uganda, faces life in jail when he is sentenced at the same court on March 13. The teenager declined to give evidence in his defence but the court was told of his troubled childhood.
When he was just 12, Sentamu was given a police caution after producing a knife in school. Yet, he would later put girls in headlocks and threaten to harm a foster carer’s cat and chop off its tail, the jury was told.
Bodycam pictures show the moment the teenager was arrested in London
(
Image:
Metropolitan Police/PA)
He later dated Elianne’s friend – and dumped her by text message. It was this callous move which led to the row outside the shopping centre, before which his ex had hoped to get back her cherished teddy. Yet, Sentamu snatched a knife from a kitchen drawer, pulled on gloves and a mask then rode the bus to the Croydon shopping centre.
And so some of Elianne’s best qualities – her strong sense of justice and desire to show solidarity with her friend – then ultimately led to her death.
After the verdict on Thursday, Detective Chief Inspector Becky Woodsford, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, praised Elianne’s family and friends for their “dignity, determination and composure”.
She said: “Elianne’s family and friends have waited a long time for this day. Nothing will ease the immeasurable pain they continue to live with, but I know they will be immensely relieved by this outcome.”