Sabina Nessa’s parents blast her killer Koci Selamaj as ‘ANIMAL’ as he cowers in cell afraid to face them over murder
A COWARDLY garage worker has today been branded an "animal" by Sabina Nessa's heartbroken parents after refusing to face them at court.
Koci Selamaj, 36, faces life in prison after he ambushed the teacher in a “premediated and predatory” murderous attack - beating her to death as she walked to meet a friend.
Sabina, 28, was found dead 200 yards from her home in Kidbrooke, South East London, after being strangled and hit 34 times by Selamaj, who used a 2ft emergency metal triangle to batter her to death.
The twisted killer today refused to leave his cell to face her family and faces life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder on September 17 last year.
Her sister Jabina sobbed as she addressed the court this afternoon, branding Selamaj as a "coward" and a "disgusting animal" after the sicko stalked the streets looking for a lone woman to attack.
Sabina Nessa's parents, Abdur Rouf and Aziban Nessa, told their daughter's killer that he had "no right" to "touch" her.
READ MORE NEWS
In a victim impact statement to the court they said: "As a parent, you would never have thought your child would die before you.
"You had no right to take her away from us in such a way. Our world shattered into tiny pieces and these pieces cannot be put back together.
"How could you do such a thing to an innocent girl walking by, minding her own business.
"You are not a human being, you are an animal. Did you really think you wouldn't get caught?
Most read in News
"You have no right to take our daughter's life away and no right to touch her."
He will be sentenced tomorrow with Justice Sweeney saying the judgment "has got to be right".
Meanwhile, Sabina's sister Jabina told the court she was “lost for words” and her parents are now “petrified” every time she or her sister leave the house.
Crying as she addressed the court, Jabina said: “Sabina had every right to be walking down the path and enjoying herself.
"She had the right to feel safe. You are an awful human being... what kind of human being does this?"
"You are an awful human being and do not deserve your name to be said. You are a disgusting animal.
"I would do anything to hold her one more time. Knowing our sister won't walk through our mum's front door again breaks us."
Albanian Selamaj travelled from his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, to Cator Park where he skulked in bushes for 20 minutes, waiting for a lone woman before pouncing on Sabina.
Chilling CCTV footage played in court shows the monster crossing paths with Sabina, before checking that he wasn’t being watched.
He then sprints after terrified Sabina, who was a complete stranger to him and was "oblivious" he was behind her.
Sabina had previously expressed concerns about going through the scrubland at night to friends, and "likely only headed into the area because she was running late".
You are not a human being, you are an animal. Did you really think you wouldn't get caught?
Abdur Rouf and Aziban Nessa
Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told the court that Selamaj had initially been driving around Brighton “looking for someone to have a sexual encounter with” before abandoning the idea to head to London.
Selamaj, who has been moved to Broadmoor prison, battered Sabina 34 times with the 2ft emergency metal triangle with such brute force that it broke into several pieces.
Sabina was left unconcious over a bench, and Selamaj was then seen carrying her away into the darkness, before strangling her in the undergrowth in what police believe was a sexually motivated attack.
Around ten minutes later, Selamaj re-appears alone and picks up pieces of the shattered weapon lying on the ground before wiping a nearby bench down with wet wipes.
The court heard he removed Sabina's underwear and tights and pulled up her clothes so her upper body was exposed.
There was no evidence of any sexual assault, but police said that it could not be ruled out completely.
Mr Justice Nigel Sweeney said it appeared that Selamaj had "positively enjoyed what he did in the park".
He arrived back at the Grand Hotel just after midnight, after dumping the emergency triangle in the River Teise, and checked out the following morning.
Just two hours before the killing Selamaj contacted his wife, who he had split from, and tried to pressure her into having sex with him.
Tragic Sabina’s body was found by a dog walker covered in leaves the next day just 200 yards from her flat.
A pathologist later said there was evidence of both blunt force trauma to her head and asphyxiation, either of which could have caused her death.
Sick Selamaj pleaded guilty last month to murdering the primary school teacher, and was arrested at his ground-floor flat days after the murder.
The Old Bailey heard that he booked himself into the five-star hotel, paying £350 for the night, to plan out the murder on any woman who crossed his path.
He was seen on camera walking through the lobby wearing the same clothes as the suspect later caught on CCTV in Kidbrooke.
ANPR cameras tracked his Nissan Micra and mobile phone evidence helped identify his movements to London.
Forensic evidence also discovered a small piece of Sabina’s blood on Selamaj’s black Sketchers trainers.
Selamaj, who was married at the time of the murder, also used his bank card at Sainsbury's in Kidbrooke to buy a rolling pin.
After his arrest, Selamaj made no comment to officers except to deny murder when asked directly if he killed Sabina.
His wife Ionela told police she had left him “weeks before” due to at least three incidents of domestic violence, where she was throttled but did not report it to officers at the time.
The court heard that he had a recent history of violent behaviour towards his ex-wife, who says his behaviour changed in May 2021.
'SIMPLY INEXPLICABLE'
He throttled her twice, and pushed her before she became “fearful for her life” and left him – calling police when she saw his image shared by cops.
He had no previous convictions in the UK or Interpol notices before the brutal murder.
Selamaj's family attended the court hearing after travelling from overseas, and found his actions"simply inexplicable".
Hotel staff at The Grand Hotel had alerted police to Selamaj before he left the area to carry out the murder, because he was acting in an “odd” manner while booking a room.
They became suspicious as the address he was giving was just eight minutes away from the hotel, and he was trying to book one of the most expensive rooms.
Tributes poured in for the "amazing" primary school teacher after her shocking death, with hundreds of mourners gathering for a candlelight vigil.
The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to the young woman, saying that her thoughts were with Sabina’s friends and family.
Kate - who left flowers at the vigil for Sarah Everard - said she was “saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets”.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
Sabina's death also sparked outrage after she joined a growing list of women killed in public spaces in London in recent months.
Campaigners are demanding action to tackle violence against women in the wake of the tragedies, including the death of Sarah Everard.