Suspect in killing of Sabina Nessa to plead not guilty
Albanian neighbours of pizza delivery driver accused of teacher’s murder recall ‘quiet boy’
A MAN who appeared in court yesterday accused of murdering primary school teacher Sabina Nessa indicated through his lawyer that he would deny the charge.
Wearing a blue mask, grey jumper and tracksuit bottoms, Koci Selamaj, 36, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at Willesden magistrates’ court in north-west London during a three-minute hearing.
The Albanian national is accused of killing Ms Nessa, 28, in Cator Park, in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on Sept 17. Her body was found hidden under leaves the following day by a dog walker.
Mr Selamaj confirmed his personal details, including his address in Eastbourne, East Sussex, and his date of birth.
Although he was not asked to enter a plea, Aidan Harvey, defending, indicated that Mr Selamaj would deny the charge.
District Judge Denis Brennan remanded Mr Selamaj in custody to appear at the Old Bailey for a bail hearing tomorrow.
The former Domino’s delivery driver will attend the court next month for a formal plea hearing.
The court heard his English was “sufficient for today’s purposes” but would require an interpreter for the lengthy hearings later on.
Mr Selamaj was born in Elbasan, a small town 18 miles south-east of the capital Tirana, one of three children. His father was a builder and his mother a farmer in the Communist era, according to locals.
One neighbour said: “He was a nice boy. We had no problems with any of them. They were quiet, the boys.”
It is believed that Mr Selamaj left Albania more than 10 years ago.
He was arrested in Eastbourne in the early hours of Sunday.
He was charged with murder the following day. CCTV footage of a suspect was released by the Metropolitan Police Service last week.
Ms Nessa, who was a Year One teacher at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, is thought to have been attacked as she left her flat at around 8.30pm on Sept 17 to visit a local bar where she was due to meet a friend.
Her body was found at 5.30pm the following day in Cator Park on a mound near a community centre.
Last Friday, hundreds of people – including her sister – gathered for a candlelit vigil organised in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in her memory.
Jebina Yasmin Islam, Ms Nessa’s sister, broke down as she addressed the crowd.
She said: “Words cannot describe
‘We are simply lost for words. No family should go through what we are going through’
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.”
Ms Nessa’s uncle Shahin Miah said the family had “no language to speak in these difficult times”.
The case has reignited concerns about lone women being attacked by male strangers.
In March, Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped and murdered by a Metropolitan Police officer as she walked home from a friend’s house in south London.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil for her on Clapham Common.