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The trial for the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam has begun at the Old Bailey. She was fatally stabbed by 17-year-old Hassan Sentamu outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London, in September 2023. The prosecution alleges that Sentamu pursued Andam after she seized the plastic bag that her friend had given him in an attempt to retrieve a teddy bear from him and stabbed her repeatedly with a kitchen knife. The incident was caught on CCTV, and Sentamu was found to be carrying the knife illegally at the time of his arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and illegal possession of a blade, with his defence team claiming that his responsibility was diminished by his autism.
According to prosecutor Alex Chalk, Sentamu had planned to exchange belongings with Andam’s friend, who was his ex-girlfriend. However, he turned up empty-handed, which led Andam to seize the bag given to him by the friend in a “gesture of solidarity”. Chalk said that the defendant chased after Andam and used the knife to deliver fatal injuries to her neck, severing her carotid artery. Sentamu then disposed of the weapon before being arrested at a bus stop near his home less than 90 minutes after the attack.
The prosecution’s argument is that Sentamu acted out of “white-hot anger” after feeling disrespected in public, and brought the knife to the scene with the intention of using it. However, Sentamu’s defence is claiming that his autism provides an explanation for his actions and may impact his legal responsibility. Chalk acknowledged that autism posed significant challenges but argued it was not a defence for murder.
Sentamu previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the trial continues as the jury must now consider his state of mind at the time of the incident and whether or not his autism impacted his ability to understand the consequences of his actions
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