A teenager fatally stabbed 15-year-old Elianne Andam in a fit of “white-hot anger” after failing to hand over his ex-girlfriend’s teddy bear, a court has heard today.  

Hassan Sentamu, 17 at the time, stabbed Andam with a kitchen knife during a meet-up with his ex-girlfriend and her friends before school.  

Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC told The Old Bailey: “He drove the knife 12cm into her neck, severing the carotid artery and causing injuries that were unsurvivable.” 

The defendant admitted manslaughter but denied murder based on “loss of control” due to his autism. He also denies possession of a blade, claiming a “lawful reason” for carrying it.  

The court heard purpose of the meeting was to exchange belongings between Andam’s friend and the ex boyfriend, Sentamu. Chalk told jurors: “(The ex-girlfriend) in particular was anxious to recover her teddy bear.”  

Sentamu had broken up with his girlfriend by text around 10 days before the killing, saying: “Ur energy is dead I’m not rdy for a relationship…all the best (sic).” His ex-girlfriend asked for her teddy bear back and he replied: “You can collect your ting on Wednesday before skl I’m gonna need my shit tho from the clothes to the pillows and flowers (sic).” 

He appeared to become increasingly impatient, telling her: “Ur wasting my time do you want your thingy or not?…If everything isn’t in the bag your not gonna get your dumb little bear. (sic).” 

The day before the killing, Sentamu had met the girls at the Whitgift Centre where they “teased” him and his ex-girlfriend threw water on him, jurors heard.  That night, Sentamu “brooded” about what happened and allegedly told a friend: “Bro, I can’t let this slide.” 

The defendant was already armed with a kitchen knife when he took the bus from his home in New Addington, to meet the girls at the Whitgift centre on the morning of September 27 last year. 

During the meeting in a car park at the Whitgift shopping centre, Sentamu’s ex-girlfriend handed over his possessions in a plastic bag, but Sentamu was empty-handed, jurors were told.  

His ex-girlfriend, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, repeatedly demanded her possessions, saying: “Where’s my teddy, where’s my teddy.” 

Jurors were shown a short mobile video in which Andam was caught up in the drama, Chalk said: 

“Elianne was aggrieved on her friend’s behalf. So, at around 8.30am whilst Hassan was walking outside the Whitgift Centre, Elianne took the plastic bag back.” “It was a gesture of solidarity with (her friend) that cost Elianne her life.”  

Sentamu chased Andam, cornered her and used the kitchen knife to stab her repeatedly. Chalk said: “Despite the rapid arrival of the emergency services and intensive efforts over the course of nearly an hour, Elianne died at the scene.” 

CCTV footage captured the attack. Sentamu attempted to run away from the scene and disposed of the knife, but he was arrested less than 90 minutes later, the court was told.  

The prosecution acknowledged “with compassion” the challenges posed by autism, but Mr Chalk asserted that it didn’t amount to an “excuse, justification or defence” for Elianne’s murder.  

Sentamu had a “short fuse” and on the day of the killing, he came to the end of it, jurors heard.  

The prosecutor said: “His calculated decision to bring a knife to the scene meant that the consequences of that outburst for Elianne and her family were utterly devastating.” 

Members of Elianne’s family sat in the well of the court as Chalk outlined the case against Sentamu. He said the victim was a popular schoolgirl and according to one of her friends: “Everybody loved Elianne.”  

The trial continues.