Elianne Andam live updates as jury expected to return verdict in Hassan Sentamu murder trial
A jury is expected to return a verdict in the trial of a teenager accused of murdering 15-year-old Elianne Andam after a row over a teddy bear. Hassan Sentamu, 18, is accused of stabbing Elianne in the neck outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon town centre on September 27 2023.
The defendant, who declined to give evidence, claimed his autism spectrum disorder caused him to lose control during the meeting to exchange belongings with his ex-girlfriend, who was Elianne’s friend.
The prosecution said he flew into a rage of 'white hot anger' and had no lawful excuse for having a kitchen knife, having picked it up at home after being 'humiliated' by a group of girls the night before.
The defence said Sentamu's autism meant he was unable to regulate his emotions when Elianne grabbed a Tesco bag from him containing handwritten love-letters to his former girlfriend.
Two 'equally eminent' forensic psychiatrists, with opposing diagnoses and views on the relevance of autism, gave evidence across four days during the second half of the trial, but Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told jurors 'one of them must be wrong' .
The judge sent the jury out to deliberate on their verdicts at 2.43pm on Tuesday (January 14).
Sentamu, of New Addington, near Croydon, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder and having an article with a blade or point in public.
Check out our live blog below for the latest updates...
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