A garage worker has pleaded guilty to the premeditated murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.
Koci Selamaj, 36, travelled to London from his home in Eastbourne on the south coast to carry out an attack, laying in wait in a park to prey on a lone woman.
Ms Nessa, 28, was chased by Selamaj and struck with a 2ft long weapon as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east, London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17.
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.
Ms Nessa’s attacker was a complete stranger to her.
Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday afternoon to plead guilty to murder.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC said it is alleged the murder “involved sexual or sadistic conduct”, suggesting a starting point for sentence is life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years.
Mr Justice Sweeney adjourned the case until April 7, for a hearing on the facts of the murder.
“Sabina Nessa was an outstanding primary school teacher, she was 28-years-old when she was murdered, and she was a much-loved daughter, sister, and aunt”, said Ms Morgan.
“Her death has been catastrophic for her family. She was attacked by a stranger as she went about her business one evening.”
CCTV footage captured the moment Selamaj overwhelmed Ms Nessa by repeatedly striking her with an emergency traffic triangle, before carrying her away unconscious.
Selamaj strangled Ms Nessa in undergrowth, before removing her tights and underwear and lifting up her clothes.
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.
Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town and charged over her death days later.
The court heard how Selamaj’s former partner has told police about two occasions when Selamaj put his hands around her throat “in a strangling move”.
Three days before the attack, 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.
He spoke to hotel staff and was captured walking through the lobby wearing the same clothes as the suspect later caught on CCTV in Kidbrooke.
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, and had purchased a rolling pin.
Selamaj had entered Cator Park shortly after 8pm on the night of the attack, and lay in wait for 20 minutes before Ms Nessa arrived.
“He had armed himself with an emergency triangle”, said Ms Morgan. “It appears he had chosen the weapon in preference to the rolling pin purchased in Sainsbury’s some 20 minutes before the attack.
“That item, the rolling pin, was found in his car.”
The prosecutor continued: “The defendant is seen chasing Ms Ness and then the infliction of mutiple severe blows to her head, estimated to be 34 blows, rendering Ms Nessa unconscious.
“He then moved her unconscious body out of sight of the CCTV view to an area of long grass.”
Ms Morgan said Selamaj strangled Ms Nessa while she was likely unconscious, before he removed items of her clothing.
He was seen leaving the park, using wet wipes to clean a bench, and then drove away. Her clothing items have never been recovered.
Ms Nessa was discovered dead the following day covered in grass.
The prosecutor said forensic evidence cannot prove that a sexual assault took place, but it also cannot be ruled out.
Phone data and traffic cameras captured the defendant returning to Eastbourne, arriving at the £170-a-night Grand Hotel just after midnight.
He stayed the night at the hotel and checked out in the morning.
Selamaj was arrested at his home in Eastbourne on September 26.
In a police interview, the defendant made no comment except to deny murder when asked directly if he was responsible for killing Ms Nessa.
Earlier this year, a lawyer for the Selamaj confirmed that he accepted being the person caught on CCTV and that he had hit Ms Nessa a number of times.
The murder of Ms Nessa heightened concern for the safety of women and girls in the capital following the stranger murders of Sarah Everard, and sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.
Previously, Ms Nessa’s family have said: “No family should ever have to go through this. We need our leaders to step up, and we need our communities to step up.
“We need our country to step up and stand with us and say no more violence against women.
“We also hope that everyone remembers Sabina as the joyful, happy, dedicated person that loved teaching and contributing to the community that she loved dearly.”
