Sabina Nessa: Man accused of ‘predatory’ murder of primary school teacher

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A man has appeared in court accused of the “premeditated and predatory” murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.

Garage worker Koci Selamaj allegedly attacked Ms Nessa as she walked through Cator Park to meet a friend at a restaurant on 17 September.

It is claimed he used a two-foot long weapon to repeatedly strike her, before carrying her out of the park in Kidbrooke, southeast London.

Ms Nessa’s body was found covered in leaves near a community centre nearly 24 hours later.

The exact cause of her death is yet to be confirmed by post-mortem examinations, but the attack was said to have involved “extreme violence”.

Mr Selamaj, an Albanian national living in East Sussex, was arrested in Eastbourne in the early hours of Sunday, and charged with her murder the following day.

A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized from a nearby residential street half a mile away.

Mr Selamaj appeared at the Old Bailey on Thursday – the same day police officer Wayne Couzens, who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, was sentenced to a whole life sentence.

Prosecuting, Alison Morgan QC told the court there was no indication the defendant knew Ms Nessa, and it was a “premeditated and predatory” stranger attack.

During the hearing, Mr Selamaj – who has already indicated he will deny murder – spoke to confirm his name and date of birth before a timetable for the case was set.

Dressed in a prison-issue green and yellow top, he appeared in court by video link from Wormwood Scrubs assisted by an Albanian interpreter in court.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC set a plea hearing for 16 December, and remanded the defendant into custody.