Warning: This article contains distressing content
A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.
Koci Selamaj, 36, pleaded guilty to Sabina's murder back in February, and was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 36 years on Friday morning.
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Sabina was walking through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London to meet a friend at a pub on 17th September last year when she was attacked and killed, with her body not being found until the following day.
Selamaj was accused of carrying out a 'pre-meditated and predatory' attack on 28-year-old Sabina, after travelling to London from his home in Eastbourne.
The day before Selamaj's sentencing, Sabina Nessa's sister Jabina Islam told the court that she had been an “amazing role model” who was “powerful, fearless, bright and just an amazing soul”.
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Addressing Selamaj in court, Sabina's parents Abdur Rouf and Azibun Nessa said: “The moment the police officer came to our house and told her she was found dead our world shattered into pieces.
“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.”
The court was also shown CCTV footage of the event, in which Sabina appeared "oblivious" before she was attacked by Selamaj from behind. The attacker was seen hitting her over the head multiple times with a weapon before removing some of her clothing and subsequently trying to cover her body in grass.
Although there was no "positive" evidence of a sexual assault, prosecutors concluded that there was a sexual motive behind the killing as some of her clothing had been removed.
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Selamaj was arrested on September 26 last year and trainers with Sabina Nessa’s blood on them were seized from his home.
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He refused to comment in police interviews but when he was charged, the Albanian national said: “What will happen if I open up now and say everything?”
Following Sabina's death, hundreds of people together for a candlelit vigil in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in her memory.
Speaking at the vigil, Sabina's sister Jebina said: "Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can’t get out of it – our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words.
“No family should go through what we are going through.”
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Head teacher of Sabina Nessa's school Lisa Williams told the court this week that the primary school was still in "utter shock.'
On Sabina's class of 30 students, she said: “For the rest of their lives, these young children will never be able to comprehend why someone murdered their teacher and the world in which they live is not safe for them to play in a park.”
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