Elianne's killer told friend he was 'evil'

Elianne Andam was killed outside the Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon

A teenager who killed schoolgirl Elianne Andam had a history of violence and threatening young people with weapons, and described himself as "evil" before he attacked her, a court has heard.

Hassan Sentamu, then 17, repeatedly stabbed 15-year-old Elianne when she grabbed a bag from him outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, south London, in September last year.

Mr Sentamu declined to give evidence on Wednesday at his Old Bailey trial. He previously admitted manslaughter, but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to his autism.

Jurors heard the attack on Elianne with a kitchen knife followed several incidents of violent and aggressive behaviour by Mr Sentamu, now 18.

Warning: This story mentions self-harm

The Old Bailey heard how, in a message sent to a friend weeks before the killing of Elianne, Mr Sentamu expressed thoughts of killing himself and wrote: "Whenever you see me it's never really me, it's a persona I put on. The real me is evil, dark and miserable."

He added: "Life is hard and tough and I can break people physically and mentally."

The jury was also told how, a few weeks after the attack while on remand at Oakhill secure training centre, a prisoner had accused him of "killing girls" and Mr Sentamu shouted: "I'll do it again, I'll do it to your mum.

"Do you want to end up like her, six feet under? I'll do the same again."

The court also heard while Mr Sentamu was at the centre an ambulance was called following reports he had ingested chemicals.

Oakhill staff also recovered a notebook in which he was "counting down to his own suicide", jurors heard.

The court heard about previous incidents involving Mr Sentamu.

The jury was told he was born in Uganda in 2006 and first came to live in London with his mother at about the age of three after allegations of domestic abuse against his father.

He had previously been referred to mental health services after staff at his primary school reported he was self-harming and he had pushed and slapped other children.

The Old Bailey heard that before joining that school Mr Sentamu had been sent by his mother to a Ugandan boarding school aged 11, where he reported he was physically abused and beaten with a metal pole.

He was later placed in foster care after a social worker found him home alone at the age of 12, and the court heard his mother told them "to take him away".

His foster carer reported that he struggled to make friends and, when he did not get his own way, he had threatened to chop the cat's tail off.

Mr Chalk told jurors: "He expressed a wish to kill himself while living with her."

Girls put in headlocks

The court also heard Mr Sentamu previously reported his mother had beaten him and tried to strangle him. She denied the allegations.

When he was 13, teachers had to disarm him after he took out a knife during a lesson and pointed it as his own chest, saying he wanted to kill himself.

He received a police caution for possession of a bladed article.

The jury was also told of other incidents, including Mr Sentamu threatening another child with a knife while on a residential trip because he felt he was mocking him, threatening to stab another student with scissors, and placing two girls in headlocks.

In July 2019, Mr Sentamu was assessed and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The court previously heard how the defendant stabbed Elianne repeatedly with a kitchen knife after she seized a bag from him when he refused to hand over her friend's teddy bear.

A police officer described him as "smiling and joking" after his arrest.

As well as the murder charge, Mr Sentamu also denies a charge of illegal possessing a knife, claiming he had a "lawful reason" to be carrying it.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb adjourned the trial until 6 January.

Additional reporting by PA Media.