Sabina Nessa’s sister arrives at Old Bailey for trial of man accused of her murder
Married Domino’s driver, 36, murdered Sabina Nessa after driving from Eastbourne to London, ‘loitering’ in a park to find lone female to attack then beating the primary teacher, 28, with a metal traffic triangle in ‘sadistic and sexually motivated’ killing
Koci Selamaj, 36, accepted responsibility for killing of 28-year-old Sabina NessaThe ‘predatory’ garage worker used ‘extreme violence’ when murdering Nessa Sabina, a primary school teacher, was found dead in Kidbrooke, last SeptemberShe travelling home through Cator Park in south London when she was attackedSelamaj was later seen wiping down a park bench before heading to his hotel
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A ‘predatory’ garage worker who beat primary school teacher Sabina Nessa to death in a ‘sadistic and sexually motivated’ attack faces the prospect of life behind bars after admitting to her murder.
Albanian national Koci Selamaj, 36, used ‘extreme violence’ to kill Ms Nessa, 28, whose body was uncovered underneath a pile of leaves in Cator Park, south east London.
The married delivery driver and garage worker travelled to London and lurked around the Kidbrooke area before targeting the school teacher as she passed through on her way to meet a friend on September 17 last year.
CCTV footage captured the moment Selamaj swiftly overwhelmed Ms Nessa by raining down more than 30 blows on her with a metal traffic triangle, before carrying her away unconscious.
It is alleged that Selamaj then strangled her in undergrowth and removed her tights and underwear in what was suspected to be a sexually-motivated attack.
The body of Ms Nessa, who taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, was found nearly 24 hours later covered with grass near a community centre in the park.
The court also heard how the defendant had no previous convictions and was not known to his victim.
Ms Nessa’s family, including her sister Jebina Yasmin Islam, watched on in the Old Bailey in London today as the Albanian national admitted killing the school teacher.
Albanian national Koci Selamaj, 36, used ‘extreme violence’ to kill teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, (pictured) whose body was uncovered underneath a pile of leaves in Cator Park, London
‘Predatory’ garage worker Koci Selamaj, 36, admitted killing primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, who was found dead in Cator Park, south east London, in September
The Old Bailey heard Selamaj had a history of violence, having previously put his hands around the throat of his former partner in a strangling motion.
Two hours before he attacked Ms Nessa, Selamaj had sough to contract his former partner to pressure her to engage in sexual activity.
Alison Morgan QC said: ‘The prosecution will submit this was a premeditated attack.
‘Premeditated not in the sense that it targeted Sabina Nessa, but it targeted any lone female who would have been vulnerable to the attack on the location.’
Ms Morgan added the attack was carried out with ‘extreme violence’.
Semalaj is said to have beat Ms Nessa so violently that the road sign he used for a weapon broke up into pieces in his hands, the Old Bailey heard.
Selamaj was later caught on CCTV using wet wipes to try and clean his DNA from a nearby park bench, before heading back to his hotel. Officers later found he had purchased a rolling pin which was not used in the attack.
In a police interview, the defendant previously made no comment except to deny murder when asked directly if he was responsible for killing Ms Nessa.
Police have never been able to establish a motive for the murder and some detectives believe Selamaj may have killed someone just for the thrill of it.
Selamaj was caught on CCTV near Pegler Square (pictured above) and later spoke with staff in the lobby of The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne wearing the same clothes he was earlier seen in
Koci Selamaj (court sketch, above), from Eastbourne, East Sussex, has accepted responsibility for killing Ms Nessa who was found dead in Cator Park, Kidbrooke, in September last year
The body of Ms Nessa, who taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, was found nearly 24 hours after the attack and covered with leaves near a community centre in the park
Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town and charged with her murder eight days after the attack.
Ms Nessa had made plans to meet a friend at The Depot bar in Kidbrooke Village on the evening of September 17.
From her home, her route took her through Cator Park where Selamaj was waiting.
Ms Morgan said: ‘Some of her movements through the park and the attack on her were captured on CCTV footage.
‘The male shown on that CCTV footage is alleged to be this defendant.’
Three days before, the defendant put his plan into action by booking a room at the five-star Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, the town where he already had accommodation.
His reservation was for the night of September 17 and he arrived earlier in the day to check in.
Selamaj spoke to hotel staff and was captured walking through the lobby wearing the same clothes as the suspect later caught on CCTV in Kidbrooke.
DCI Neil John from the Met Police speaks outside the Old Bailey, London after Koci Selamaj pleaded guilty to the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa on Friday
Pictured above: A forensics tent in Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, where the teacher was found dead
The defendant’s Nissan Micra was tracked by ANPR cameras and cell site evidence was gathered to identify his movements from Eastbourne to south London later that day.
The evidence showed the defendant also used his bank card at Sainsbury’s in Kidbrooke.
He was captured in footage wearing ‘distinctive’ trainers with a thick white sole which were later seized from his house and found to have blood traces on them.
The defendant entered Cator Park shortly after 8pm and lay in wait for half an hour before Ms Nessa arrived.
Ms Morgan said: ‘The defendant is seen in effect loitering in locations around the park before spotting the deceased, checking to see if anyone else was nearby before turning and running after her.
‘He is then seen to move towards the deceased and striking her repeatedly using a weapon which was approximately 2ft in length.
‘In fact it was a weapon which appeared to break up during the course of the many strikes on the deceased.
‘The CCTV footage shows the defendant then carrying the deceased, who appeared to be unconscious by that point, up a bank and effectively out of sight.’
Selamaj’s actions afterwards were out of camera shot, but Ms Nessa was not seen alive again.
Mr Justice Sweeney adjourned sentence until April 7.
It comes as a former colleague, who asked not to be named, said Selamaj was ambitious and moved to the UK to better himself and had taken a job as a pizza delivery driver at Dominos ‘to get ahead.’
He said: ‘He was only been married for a while and he was living in a flat with his wife. He wanted to get ahead. He wanted to move from their flat. He wanted to make some money and get another job.
Pictured: a map showing where Sabina’s home was and where she was found on September 17
Pictured: a map showing the police movements in Eastbourne after Selamaj’s arrest
Jebina Yasmin Islam, Sabina’s sister, was seen arriving at the Old Bailey in London today for the trial of Koci Selamaj
‘His wife, also, was working and they were saving for a better flat. He seemed ordinary, normal, a regular guy. I was shocked when I found out he had been arrested.’
A former neighbour, Piotr Graz, said: ‘Everyone was shocked when he was arrested. He was married with a very nice wife and they seemed very close. They wanted to get a bigger flat.
‘I know Koci used to go to London to see people he knew from his [Albanian] community. He used to go when he wasn’t working. He seemed like a regular guy and I would never think he was guilty of the crimes he has been accused of. He was so mild and calm.’
He said: ‘I’m not sure his wife is even in the country anymore. I haven’t seen her for a long time.’
The Depot bar in Pegler Square, where Ms Nessa was due to meet with a friend before she was ambushed and killed
Pictured: Police investigating the death of Sabina Nessa pictured at a flat in Eastbourne
Last October, around 200 people gathered in Eastbourne, East Sussex, to pay tribute to the school teacher and protest the ‘crisis of violence against women’.
The peaceful demonstration was marked by cheers and applause as those addressing the crowd spoke out against victim blaming.
Later, the darkening sky was lit with the lights from dozens of mobile phones, as a minute’s silence was held for Ms Nessa.
Sabina’s sister Jebina Yasmin Islam broke down as she addressed crowds.
She said: ‘Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can’t get out of it – our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words.
‘No family should go through what we are going through.’
The vigil came after public outrage and debate over women’s safety and policing in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard, who was killed by a serving Met Police officer.
