Top Tory takes unexpected role in high-profile murder case as he lands barrister job

A defeated Tory has opened up about his harrowing role in an “appalling” high-profile murder case after he returned to the courtroom as a prosecutor when booted out of Parliament.

Alex Chalk, a qualified barrister, decided to return to the legal profession after losing his Cheltenham seat during the Tories’ General Election drubbing last year.

One of the former justice secretary’s early cases on his return to the law was the prosecution of Hassan Sentamu, 18, who was found guilty of stabbing 15-year-old Elianne Andam in Croydon, south London, last year.

The ex-Lord Chancellor told the Old Bailey that Sentamu “brooded” on an insult and “took the knife to the scene to reassert dominance”.

Instead of exchanging a teddy bear with his ex-girlfriend as planned on the day of the killing, the teenager donned a mask and gloves and armed himself with a knife from under the sink in his kitchen.

The court was told Elianne got caught up in the drama, with Sentamu chasing and stabbing her on the ground outside Croydon’s Whitgift Centre – inflicting a 12cm wound to the neck.

A passing bus driver held Elianne’s hand and stayed with her as she died in the street.

Speaking to Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr Chalk described it as “genuinely the most appalling case” and one he had been personally affected by.

He added: “Anybody who’s a criminal barrister, you see some horrible, horrible things. You have to harden your heart, get on with it and do a job, but this was an affecting case.

“There was a dispute over a teddy bear of all things and there was this video that she posted about a minute before she was killed, and you saw she was bright and cheerful and happy, and seconds later she was hacked down.”

Sentamu is due to be sentenced on March 13.

It is believed to be the first time a former justice secretary and Lord Chancellor has returned to being a criminal barrister.

Also in the interview, Mr Chalk urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – himself a former lawyer – not “undermine” the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) with “lazy, across-the-board cuts”.

He thinks the MoJ’s budget should be protected during a time when it has faced challenges with overcrowded prisons and court backlogs.

He warned that if there are cutbacks: “You would find a situation where confidence in the criminal justice system, of people’s ability to get justice for appalling crimes like rape just ebbs away.

“For small savings, you’d be doing disproportionate damage.”

Not all defeated Tory MPs have found it easy to find work after being booted out of Parliament.

In October, the former Stoke-on-Trent MP Jonathan Gullis said he was finding it difficult to return to teaching, claiming the education profession viewed Tories like him with “disdain”.