The 28-year-old woman had expressed concerns that she was walking in Cator Park, Kidbrooke, when it was dark, but most likely decided to do so on the day of her murder, after she was late to meet a friend, according to the court. Koci Selamaj, 36, who pleaded guilty to murder at a previous hearing, refused to appear in Old Bailey on Thursday afternoon for sentencing and the hearing continued in his absence. Ms Nessa taught one year at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford and was described as “amazing, caring, (and) beautiful” by her sister. Her death sparked an outburst of grief and rekindled anger over violence against women in the UK. Granular footage of Ms Nessa being attacked in south-east London has surfaced in court, with prosecutors describing how she looked “unaware” as Selamaj ran after her. Following a hearing by attorneys and defense attorneys, as well as an emotional statement from Ms. Nessa’s sister, Justice Sweeney adjourned the hearing to Friday, where he is expected to stand trial. Image: Sabina Nessa taught a one-year class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford A violent murder in a London park was recorded by CCTV Selamaj lurked around Cator Park in Kidbrooke before shooting 28-year-old Nessa as she walked down the aisle to meet a friend on September 17 last year, according to a court. The horrific moments when he attacked Mrs. Nessa – hitting her on the head with a metal traffic triangle 34 times before removing her unconscious – were recorded on CCTV. Selamai then pulled off her clothes, took off her tights and underwear and strangled her before covering her body with grass. Her body was found almost 24 hours later near a community center in the park. An investigation into the murder saw detectives urgently searching for her killer, but it was not until September 26 – about nine days later – that Selamaj was arrested in Eastbourne, East Sussex, where he lived. Image: Garage worker Koci Selamaj convicted of murder Prosecutor: Selamai had a history of violence against an ex-partner At Thursday night’s hearing, prosecutor Alison Morgan QC said Selamaj had been violent towards his ex-partner in the past, including her strangulation. Three days before he killed Ms Nessa, the accused locked a room in the five-star Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, the city where he was already staying. On September 17, he booked the hotel and, two hours before the murder, contacted his ex-partner in a failed attempt to engage her in sexual activity. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:53 Sabina Nessa’s sister was one of the many who paid tribute to her Selamai waited, checking to see if anyone else was nearby before attacking Ms. Nessa She drove to London and entered Cator Park shortly after 8pm, waiting half an hour before Mrs. Nessa arrived on her way to a bar where she was to meet a friend. Ms Nessa had previously said she was worried about being in the park after dark, but the prosecutor said it “seems likely” that she chose to walk there that night because she was running late and that was the fastest route. In CCTV footage shown in court, Selamai appears to be walking along the path with his hood up and his license plate in hand. He then crosses with Ms. Nessa and turns as they pass each other. “She ignores him behind her” at this point, the court hears. He then runs after her and starts hitting her repeatedly with the traffic signal. Selamai was then seen carrying Ms. Nessa, who appeared to be unconscious up to that point, to a bank and invisible. Sexual motive for murder, persecution is reported On the way back to the south coast, he stopped in the Tunbridge Wells area of Kent where he dropped his murder weapon on the River Teise. Ms Morgan called on the court to conclude that there was a sexual motive for the murder, even though there was no “positive” evidence of sexual assault. He said the attack “did not happen spontaneously” and that there was “significant planning”. A doctor later said there were signs of both blunt force trauma to her head and suffocation, which could have caused her death, according to the court. Image: Members of the public attend a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa “She had a right to feel safe,” says her sister Sabina Nessa Ms. Nessa’s sister, Jebina Yasmin Islam, collapsed as she made a moving statement in court. “She had every right to walk the path and enjoy herself,” she said. “She had the right to feel safe.” In tears she said: “I would do anything to keep her one more time”. Principal Lisa Williams said Ms. Nessa’s school was in “absolute shock” at her murder and that she had “a full career ahead of her.” Defense: The guilty plea saved the family from a “serious” trial Selamaj – who is originally from Albania – came to the UK about seven years ago after leaving school at the age of 12 unqualified, his defense lawyer said. The defense pointed out that he had pleaded guilty to murder instead of leaving the case to be tried, arguing that it should be considered in the conviction. This has’ saved [Sabina Nessa’s] “Family stress to go through such a painful ordeal,” they added. The murder “brought back to the fore the issue of women’s safety on the streets” Speaking a week later in a park vigil where her sister was killed, Jebina Yasmin Islam burst into tears, saying: “We lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world very early.” Shahin Miah’s uncle said her death “once again brought the issue of women’s road safety to the forefront”. Less than a month after Ms Nessa was killed, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that an independent inquiry would look into “systematic failures” by police following the killing of Sarah Everard by an acting officer.
