A judge has followed Sabina Nessa’s family in calling her killer Koci Selamaj “cowardly” as he once again refused to leave his cell to face them while being sentenced for her murder. Selamaj, 36, drove to Kidbrooke, in Greenwich, from his home in Eastbourne to wait for a woman to attack after being spurned by his estranged wife.
The garage worker faces being jailed for life for the shocking murder of school teacher Sabina last September. He lurked around Cator Park before ambushing Sabina as she made the short walk from her home, through the park to meet a friend at the nearby Depot bar. He beat and strangled the 28-year-old to death.
In grainy CCTV footage played in court, Selamaj was seen running up behind Sabina and launching a ferocious attack. He struck her over the head 34 times with a 2ft-long metal traffic triangle, before carrying her unconscious up a grassy bank.
READ MORE:Sabina Nessa’s family slams ‘coward’ killer who refused to come out of his cell and face them
He pulled up her clothes, removed her tights and underwear, and strangled her before covering her body in grass. The body of the Year One teacher at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, was found nearly 24 hours later near a community centre in the park.
Sabina’s sister called Selamaj a “coward” after he refused to come to court to be sentenced. Jabina Islam said: “You are an awful human being and do not deserve your name to be said. You are a disgusting animal.” She said her sister was an “amazing role model” who was “powerful, fearless, bright and just an amazing soul”.
Selamaj’s estranged wife has told how he tried to “strangle” her three times leaving her “afraid for her life”. Ionela Gherghisan, described how former partner Koci Selamaj became violent in the weeks before he took Ms Nessa’s life.
After he was arrested, he made no comment during interviews but did accept being the person caught on CCTV and that he had hit Sabina a number of times during a hearing in December. He later changed this to a guilty plea. Sabina’s murder sparked national outrage and heightened concern for the safety of women and girls in London following the murders Sarah Everard and Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.
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