The sister of the murdered elementary school teacher Sabina Nessa has described her killer as a “disgusting animal” because she did not face his crime in court. Sex predator Koci Selamaj refused to come to the bench for a sentencing hearing today. The hearing was held in his absence as the court has no power to force him to appear. Selamai faces up to 30 years in prison after admitting to killing Sabina in an “extremely violent” attack on September 17 last year. The 36-year-old Albanian national targeted Sabina as she was passing through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend. The video from the closed circuit television recorded the moment when Selamai attacked her, hitting her on the head 34 times with a 2-foot-long metal traffic triangle, before dragging her unconscious. He then pulled off her clothes, took off her tights and underwear and strangled her before covering her body with grass. Sabina Ness was killed while passing through Cator Park on her way to meet a friend on September 17 last year The court heard how two hours before the murder he tried to contact his ex-partner to force her to engage in sexual activity. After refusing, he drove to Brighton “looking for someone to have sex with,” said prosecutor Alison Morgan, QC. He then “abandoned” this plan and headed to London. He entered Cator Park shortly after 8pm and waited for half an hour before Sabina arrived on her way to The Depot bar where she was to meet a friend. Ms Morgan said it was “out of character” for the year a Rushey Green Elementary School teacher walked in the park after dark, but “it was too late and that was the fastest way to get to the bar”. She had “ignored” her killer as he ran after her and attacked her on the path near a park bench. Elder Bailey said Sabina suffered about 34 bows to the head, with such force that pieces of the plate broke. Selamaj’s actions were then off-camera, but Sabina was never seen alive again. Ms Morgan said the accused strangled her and took off her tights and underwear before trying to cover her body with grass. The prosecution alleges that there was a sexual motive for Sabina’s murder, although there was no “positive” evidence of sexual assault. Sabina’s body was discovered by a dog walker the next day, who at first thought she was seeing a “potato bag”. Supporters of the Sabina Project outside Old Bailey, central London (Image: PA) Her death sparked an outburst of grief across the nation and sparked renewed outrage over violence against women in the UK. Sabina’s family said her world had been “torn to pieces” after her murder. Sister Jebina Jasmine Islam said in a statement to the court: “Our sister Sabina was much more than a sister, a daughter, a teacher, she was a life. “A life that was not worth taking away. “You grabbed her without a second thought. “You are not human, you are a disgusting animal. “Our parents petrify every time one of their daughters leaves home now.
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“We have these images in our heads of what happened and what our sister must have felt when you decided to run after her and attack her when she clearly could not defend herself. “You designed it and made sure it was alone. “What makes us angry is that you left our sister’s body in an insincere way to fulfill your dirty wishes. “We just want answers about why you killed her. Koci Selamaj sentenced to life in prison (Image: PA) ‘Why? “Our family will never forget what you did, we will not let you take us anymore.” Selamai had no previous convictions and no notice from Interpol before killing Sabina. However, during the hearing, it was heard that the killer had a “recent history of violent behavior towards his ex-wife” Ionela Ghergishan, including putting his arms around her neck. Ms Ghergishan said his attitude towards her had changed since May 2021, when he became “controlling, coercive and physically aggressive”. She said she left him because he was “afraid for her life”, but the day he killed Sabina, he had contacted her to force her to have sex. Prosecutors say Selamai’s previous violent behavior should be seen as an “aggravating factor” in the decision to sentence him to prison, as well as his attempt to hide his body. Ms Morgan also claimed that the attack “did not take place spontaneously” and that there was “significant planning”. Three days before the assassination, Selamai booked a room at the five-star Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, the city where he was already staying. His reservation was for the night of September 17 and he arrived earlier in the day to check in. Members of the public attend a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa and a show of solidarity against violence against women (Image: PA) Sabina’s death sparked calls for more to keep women safe (Image: PA) Before leaving the park, he picked up pieces from the warning triangle and used wet wipes to clean a bench near the spot where he launched his initial attack. On the way back to the south coast, Selamaj stopped at Tunbridge Wells in Kent and flew the warning triangle into the Teise River. Selamaj returned to The Grand Hotel at midnight and checked out the morning before going to work at an Esso garage in Lewes. He was arrested in the coastal city and charged days later. He declined to comment in police interviews, but when charged, the Albanian national said: “What if I open it now and say it all?” Judge Sweeney said the “inevitable” sentence would be life in prison, starting at 30 years. Postponed the sentence for 10 a.m. Friday.
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Addressing Selamai, Sabina’s mother and father said: “As a parent, you would never have thought that your child would die before you. Our Sabina did not die in any way. “You did not have the right to take her away from us in such a harsh way. “The moment the policeman came to our house and told her that she was found dead, our world was torn to pieces. “How could you do such a thing to an innocent girl who was passing by, doing her own job. “You are not human, you are an animal.” Sabina’s death came months after Sarah Everard’s murder, sparking further calls for more to make communities safer for women. Lisa Williams, the principal of the school where she worked, described the “catastrophic” effects of her murder on staff and students. He said Sabina was “a happy, hardworking” teacher who had “a complete career ahead of her”. In the class of 30 students, Mrs. Nessa said: “For the rest of their lives, these little kids will never be able to understand why someone killed their teacher and the world they live in is not safe for them to play in a park. . . ‘ Do you have a story? Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] Or you can submit your videos and photos here. For more stories like this, check out our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also download Metro.co.uk articles directly to your device. Sign up for our daily push notifications here.
