Pictured: Man, 36, who has been charged by police with murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, after he was arrested in 3am raid
- A 36-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Sabina Nessa
- Koci Selamaj, from Eastbourne, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday
- He will appear before Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday
A 36-year-old ex-Domino’s delivery driver will appear in court today charged with the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.
Koci Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday, and a light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a residential street around half a mile away. He will now appear before Willesden Magistrates’ Court today.
Ms Nessa was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17.
Her body was found nearly 24 hours later covered with leaves near a community centre in the park.
Neighbour Jas French said: ‘On Sunday morning police arrived around 3am. It wasn’t until I left at 8am that I saw that they were still here and they’ve been here ever since.
‘From what we’ve seen he was really nice. I’ve got a little girl and he’s offered to take the buggy down for me. He’s helped me open bin lids and he seemed to be a really nice person.’
Until recently Selamaj had been living with his Romanian girlfriend in the flat behind a burger takeaway in the centre of Eastbourne, but the couple recently split up.
A worker in a newsagents near the flat where Selamaj was living said he would come in to the shop to top up his phone or energy key, but would not make conversation.
Koci Selamaj (left), from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday. Sabina Nessa (right) was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17
Sabina Nessa, 28, originally from Bedfordshire. Ms Nessa was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17
The suspect is understood to have been working as a Domino’s delivery driver in Eastbourne and is thought to be originally from eastern Europe
Koci Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday (pictured: Police in Eastbourne on Sunday)
A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a residential street
‘He was so quiet, he didn’t say anything, just came to top up and left,’ the member of shop staff said.
Ms Nessa taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, also south-east London.
On 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 crowds.
She 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.’
Lisa Ramsarran, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Koci Selamaj, 36, with one count of murder.
‘The charge relates to the murder of 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on Friday, September 17 2021.
‘The CPS London Homicide Unit authorised the charge following a review of a file of evidence received from the Metropolitan Police Service.
‘The defendant’s first court appearance will take place on September 28 2021.
Pictured: Police and forensics believed to be investigating the death of Sabina Nessa are pictured at a flat in Eastbourne
The sister of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, Jebina Yasmin Islam, is embraced by well-wishers in Cator Park, Kidbrooke
More than 500 well-wishers, including Ms Nessa’s sister Jebina, gathered in Pegler Square for a vigil on Friday
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has a right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
