A court has sentenced Hassan Sentamu, 18, to life imprisonment for stabbing 15-year-old Elianne Andam to death in an unprovoked and savage attack in Croydon.
The Old Bailey, where he stood trial on Thursday, ruled that Sentamu must serve a minimum of 23 years before any consideration for parole.
A bright and beloved schoolgirl, Elianne had no idea her final moments would be met with such violence.
According to the Met Police, Elianne on that fateful day in September 2023, had accompanied a friend to retrieve personal belongings from Sentamu following the end of their brief relationship.
But what was meant to be a simple exchange spiraled into horror when Sentamu, furious and vengeful, pulled a knife from his waistband and unleashed a frenzied attack, stabbing Elianne multiple times—including a fatal wound to her neck.
Desperate passers-by rushed to stop life slipping away from the young girl and emergency services arrived within minutes, but it was too late.
Elianne, who had so much to live for, lay lifeless on the pavement, her dreams cruelly extinguished by a senseless act of rage.
The Met Police said, as Elianne lay dying, Sentamu wasted no time fleeing the scene. He was seen discarding the murder weapon in a random garden before calmly boarding a bus as though nothing had happened.
Elianne Andam, murdered
But his attempt to evade justice was short-lived as within 90 minutes, an eagle-eyed police officer spotted him stepping off the bus.
Even as he was apprehended, Sentamu showed no emotion, attempting to give officers a false name—”John”—and denying any involvement in the attack but the evidence against him was overwhelming.
Forensic experts later matched his DNA to the murder weapon, linking it directly to a set of knives found at his home—one of which was missing.
His own text messages revealed a chilling motive. Just the day before the killing, he had been humiliated when a group of girls, including Elianne, threw water at him.
His response? A vow for revenge. “Bro, I can’t let this slide,” he texted a friend, words that would later become a damning confession.
In court, the grief-stricken words of Elianne’s parents painted a harrowing picture of loss. Her mother, heartbroken beyond measure, described her daughter as “vibrant, creative, and purposeful.”
Elianne had been a joyful presence, bringing music, laughter, and warmth into their home. But now, all that remained was an unbearable silence.
“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.”
Her father, overcome with sorrow, said the pain of losing his daughter was a wound that would 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.”
Elianne’s murder shook Croydon to its core. The outpouring of grief was overwhelming, with hundreds gathering for a candlelit vigil in her honour.
Flowers, messages, and tributes flooded the scene where she was killed. A mural now stands as a permanent tribute to her life—a stark reminder of the beautiful soul stolen away by mindless violence.
Detective Chief Inspector Becky Woodsford, who led the painstaking investigation, described Sentamu as “a dangerous and unpredictable individual.”
“We may never fully understand what drove him to commit such an unspeakable act of violence in broad daylight. But what is clear is that his actions robbed Elianne of her future and shattered the lives of those who loved her.”
Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the deep wounds left by the tragedy.
“Elianne was popular, bright, and had so much ahead of her. The shock and outrage her murder caused cannot be overstated. But the Croydon community came together in a way that showed true strength, standing united in grief and determination for justice.”
