Yahoo Finance Sabina Nessa: Timeline of key events in investigation into teacher’s murder
Primary school teacher Sabina Nessa was murdered as she walked to meet a friend in south east London in a crime that sparked outcry over women’s safety.
She was killed by a stranger with a 2ft long weapon as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east, London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17 last year.
Koci Selamaj, 36, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday afternoon to plead guilty to her murder.
He travelled to London from his home on the south coast to carry out an attack, laying in wait in a park to prey on a lone woman.
The body of Ms Nessa, who taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, was found nearly 24 hours later covered with grass near a community centre in the park.
Here is a timeline of events in the investigation.
Friday September 17, 8:30pm: Sabina Nessa, a teacher at the Rushey Green Primary School in Lewisham sets out on a five-minute journey to meet a friend at a pub in Kidbrooke but never arrives.
Saturday September 18, 5.30pm:The body of Ms Nessa is found close to the OneSpace community centre in Cator Park, Kidbrooke, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, by a member of the public.
Saturday evening: A man in his 40s is arrested on suspicion of murder at an address in Lewisham, and is later released under police investigation.
Monday September 20: A post-mortem carried out at Greenwich Mortuary proves to be inconclusive.
Monday, 9pm: The victim is identified publicly as Ms Nessa.
Lisa Williams, head of the Rushey Green Primary School, pays tribute to her, saying: “She was a brilliant teacher; she was kind, caring and absolutely dedicated to her pupils.
“She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give and her loss is desperately sad.”
Wednesday September 22: Ms Nessa’s cousin Zubel Ahmed says that her family is “inconsolable” following their loss.
In an interview with the BBC he says: “We are all truly devastated. Her parents are absolutely shocked, they’re inconsolable still and understandably so, to hear of their daughter being taken away from them by some cowardly man is just horrific.”
Thursday 23 September, 8pm:The Metropolitan Police announce that a second, 38-year-old man has been arrested at an address in Lewisham on suspicion of Ms Nessa’s murder and is being held in custody.
Friday 24 September: Police release CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to putting his hood up close to the scene where Ms Nessa was discovered.
Sunday 26 September, 3am: Man, 36, was arrested in Eastbourne on suspicion of the teacher’s murder and taken into Met police custody.
Monday 27 September: 36-year-old Koci Selamaj charged with murder.
Thursday December 16: At the Old Bailey, Selamaj pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Nessa. But his barrister told the court Selamaj “accepts responsibility for the killing”.
Friday February 25: Selamaj pleads guilty to the premeditated murder of the primary school teacher. He is is due to be sentenced on 7 April.
