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 Domino’s delivery driver travelled to London and lurked around the Kidbrooke area before grabbing the school teacher as she passed through on her way to meet a friend in the Depot Bar on September 17 last year.
CCTV footage captured the moment Selamaj chased and swiftly overwhelmed Ms Nessa by raining down more than 30 blows on her with a metal traffic triangle, before carrying her away unconscious.
Selamaj then strangled her in undergrowth and removed her tights and underwear in what was suspected to be a sexually-motivated attack, prosecutors said.
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.
Prosecutors made clear that Nessa was not known to the murderer beforehand and he was targeting lone women for his depraved attack in a similar fashion to Wayne Couzen’s killing of Sarah Everard five months prior.
The court also heard how the defendant had no previous convictions, but had tried to strangle his former partner.
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.
He 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 Selamaj 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 (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.’
The Old Bailey heard Selamaj (above) 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
The prosecutor said an examination of Ms Nessa’s body showed no positive signs of sexual assault but that it couldn’t be excluded.
‘The defendant removed Ms Nessa’s tights and underwear and lifted her clothes so that the mid and upper parts of her body were exposed.
‘The circumstances in which Ms Nessa’s body was found demonstrate the sexual motivation that must have existed,’ she added.
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.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey on Friday, Ms Nessa’s sister Jebina Islam (above) broke down in tears as told how the guilty plea was ‘difficult to digest’
DCI Neil John from the Metropolitan 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.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey on Friday, Ms Nessa’s sister Jebina Islam broke down in tears as told how the guilty plea was ‘difficult to digest’.
She said it was a ‘step in the right direction’ but did not bring her sister back.
She said: ‘We as a family are broken and there is not a day that goes by that we do not think of her.
‘There are no words to describe the pain we are going through and the pain which he has caused.
‘The fact we will never know the motive for why he killed our sister is not only frustrating but heartbreaking.
‘No family should go through what we are going through, and each day is not getting any easier.’
Helen Ellwood, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: ‘Sabina Nessa was 28 years old when her life was cut short as a result of truly evil violence inflicted on her as she walked through a park.
‘Koci Selamaj has shown little remorse for his premeditated and predatory attack on a lone woman who was a stranger to him.
‘His cowardly actions have devastated a family and caused immeasurable pain to all those who knew and loved Sabina.
‘The prosecution was able to build the strongest possible case resulting in Selamaj admitting his guilt as a result of meticulous investigation led by the Metropolitan Police, which included an extensive review of CCTV footage and detailed forensic work.’
She said the CPS was committed to prosecuting violence against women and girls, and she hoped the conviction would bring some sense of justice to Ms Nessa’s family and friends.
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.
‘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.’
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
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.’
Speaking outside court on Friday, Detective Chief Inspector Neil John told reporters: ‘She was a much loved popular young woman who had her whole life ahead of her.’
Throughout the criminal process, Ms Nessa’s family had ‘astounded with their dignity’ and shown the ‘utmost bravery’ in coming to court and facing the man who killed her, he said.
‘Her future was cruelly taken away when she was murdered by Koci Selamaj a total stranger who to this day has never explained why he carried out this senseless attack.
‘I do not want to waste words on this cowardly evil man apart from saying we are relieved he will now spend the vast majority of his life in prison.’
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’
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.