Elianne Andam was killed on September 27 last year, with a court hearing that suspect Hassan Sentamu disposed of evidence in a bin but was arrested by officers nearby
A friend of murdered teen Elianne Andam made a heartbreaking five-word plea after she was stabbed at a south London bus stop, a court heard.
As Elianne’s life ebbed away, her friend begged, “please let this girl live,” and “I can’t live without this girl, a court at the Old Bailey heard. Despite efforts to save her, she was declared dead at 9:21am, September 27, the court heard.
Following the attack, her alleged killer Hassan Sentamu, now 18, disposed of evidence – believed to be a mask and gloves – in a bin and was arrested by officers at a bus stop near his home in New Addington, Croydon, the court heard. He is alleged to have made a “calculated decision” to take a kitchen knife as he went to exchange possessions during a meeting with his ex-girlfriend, a friend of Elianne.
Semtamu was allegedly covered in the victim’s blood and disposed of a knife, which was splattered with her blood. Police recovered a letter from the scene of the stabbing which Sentamu had written to his ex, the court was told.
In it, he “expressed his loved and showed insight, acknowledging at times he had been protective in their relationship,” the court heard. Jurors were also told another had “complimented her on her eyes”.
Sentamu had been in a relationship with the girl since June 2023 but by September the relationship had “soured” and they broke up, the court was told. In the days leading up to the attack, the “friction” between Sentamu and the girl “escalated,” jurors heard.
They traded messages in which they arranged to meet so the girl could get her teddy bear and possessions back, the court heard. In one message the night before the attack, Sentamu allegedly wrote: “If everything isn’t in the bag your [SIC] not gonna get your dumb little bear.”
He then claimed to have “found another girl” before blocking her number, it is said. His former girlfriend’s friends were left “riled” by Sentamu’s failure to say sorry and started to “tease him,” the court heard.
Jurors heard the girls made a “clumsy attempt to prompt a reaction” when they threw water at him from a bottle and made reference to “acid.” Prosecutor Alex Chalk KC said told the court: “There wasn’t of course any acid in the bottle of water and you may conclude it was mentioned as a clumsy attempt to prompt a reaction from Hassan.”
Witnesses claimed he remained “composed” and “showed no emotion,” the court heard. Mr Chalk told jurors: “The defendant now claims that he was threatened by the girls with serious physical violence, apparently in an attempt to justify his actions the following day. He seems to rely on the reference in the video to acid to support his claim.
“You’ll want to listen carefully to what was said. There wasn’t, of course, any acid in the bottle of water, and you may conclude it was mentioned as part of a clumsy attempt to prompt a reaction from Hassan. In a nutshell you may feel it was more mocking than menacing.”
Mr Chalk said: “As they left, Hassan was splashed again. Again he remained composed. That restraint was noted by all present, including the girls. At least one joked that tomorrow he would kill them all.”
The trial continues.