A man has been convicted of murdering schoolteacher Sabina Nessa after a police investigation provided irrefutable evidence of his guilt.
Koci Selamaj 36 (04.05.85) travelled from Eastbourne to Cator Park in Kidbrooke where he hid in bushes until he saw 28-year-old Sabina, who he had never met or had any links to.
He carried out a brutal and sustained attack, using a metal traffic warning sign as the murder weapon, before hiding her body and driving home.
A major investigation, involving officers from across the Met, led to Selamaj’s identification, arrest and finally to his conviction today at the Old Bailey.
DCI Neil John, who led the investigation into Sabina’s murder, said: “Selamaj’s senseless attack cut short the life of a completely innocent woman who had so much to look forward to. Her family and friends have had their lives turned upside down and my thoughts will always remain with them. I can never imagine the pain they have gone through or how they have found the strength to come to court and relive what happened to Sabina. They are truly remarkable.
“This case was a truly collaborative effort, from forensic teams gathering vital evidence, to officers trawling through hundreds of hours of CCTV. This left Selamaj with no choice but to plead guilty and I know it is a great relief to Sabina’s family that they do not have to sit through a lengthy trial.
“Selamaj’s actions did not only affect one family or one community. They struck at the heart of the fears of many women who should have the right to walk in our open spaces safely, no matter the time of day or the location. Right across the Met there is a relentless effort to tackle violence against women and girls and to bring those who perpetrate these crimes to justice.”
Selamaj will be sentenced on Thursday, 7 April at the Old Bailey.
Helen Ellwood, CPS London Homicide prosecutor, said: “Sabina Nessa was 28 years old when her life was cut short as a result of truly evil violence inflicted upon her as she walked through a park.
“Koci Selamaj has shown little remorse for this premeditated and predatory attack on a lone woman who was a stranger to him. His cowardly actions devastated a family and caused immeasurable pain to all those who knew and loved Sabina.
“The prosecution was able to build the strongest possible case resulting in Selamaj admitting his guilt as a result of a meticulous investigation led by the Metropolitan Police Service which included an extensive review of CCTV footage and detailed forensic work.
“The CPS is committed to prosecuting violence against women and girls and we hope this conviction provides some sense of justice for the family and friends of Sabina Nessa. Our thoughts remain very much with them at this time.”
A statement from the Metropolitan Police:
The Met fully appreciates that Sabina’s murder and other shocking incidents have heightened concerns about violence against women and girls in London. We completely share that concern and that is why tackling violence, including crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, remains our top priority. Our commitment has not wavered and we will not stop our relentless efforts.
Actions we have taken to make our streets safer over the last 18 months:
+Established Predatory Offenders’ Units across London to arrest and charge those who carry out violence, much of it domestic or sexual. Since November 2020 they have arrested over 2,500 suspects of which over half of cases were related to domestic abuse.
+We are in the process of deploying 650 new officers into new Town Centre teams, working in city centres and high streets, meaning communities will see local officers in their local areas. We know that to be effective we need to work side by side with Londoners and that greater police visibility will increase confidence.
+Last year we set up a number of ‘walk and talk’ schemes in BCUs where neighbourhood officers buddied up with women in the community to hear about any locations in which they feel vulnerable and start discussions about how these concerns can be alleviated. We have today (Friday, 25 February ) announced that this scheme will be rolled out across the capital.
+We have stepped up patrols of open spaces across London and transport hubs, providing an increased police intelligence where needed in key hotspot locations
+ We are also working closely with the hospitality sector and those involved in the night-time economy to raise awareness of how they can help keep women safe in their premises. We reinvigorated Ask for Angela to provide people feeling unsafe or vulnerable with a discreet way of asking for help from venue staff. Welfare and safety training has given to hundreds of staff working in bars and clubs.
We asked the public what more they would like to see us doing and they will see we have acted on that feedback when we publish our updated Violence against Women and Girls plan at the end of March. We are ambitious and are transforming – we are listening to experiences of women and girls, we are acting on the findings from independent reviews and we are learning from other forces.
