Sabina Nessa’s murderer has refused to face his devastated father after he travelled over from Albania twice to confront him over his horrific crimes.
Koci Selamaj’s father Bashkim, 71, says he is ‘full of pain for Sabina’ and has begged his son to explain why he brutally bludgeoned and strangled the primary school teacher to death.
But the killer’s ‘shame’ means he refuses to leave his jail cell at HMP Belmarsh and has led him to cut contact with his family.
Selamaj, 36, must serve a minimum of 36 years after confessing to targeting the 28-year-old as she took a shortcut through a park to meet a friend on September 17.
He struck her over the head 34 times with a 2ft-long metal traffic triangle before removing her tights and underwear, throttling her and covering her body in grass.
He had driven to Kidbrooke, southeast London from his home in Eastbourne to carry out a premeditated attack on a woman after being spurned by his estranged wife.
Speaking to the Mirror, ex-steel worker Bashkim said his son’s monstrous actions had caused ‘huge tragedy’ in his own family and he ‘cannot believe’ what happened.
‘Koci has a strong character. Now he is realising what he has done and has shame on himself’, he said.
‘That shame stops him from meeting me or his sister who did try meeting him as well. He does not want to tell me why he murdered that girl. I’d like to know from him why he did it.’
Bashkim, who is suffering from ‘several illnesses’ after a head operation, has also ‘sent several letters but no reply’.
He believes he and wife Tefta could die never seeing their son again and says he ‘wouldn’t wish this position on anyone’.
‘We never have had any problem with him. How could he hit a person he didn’t know 34 times? We are so sad for Sabina’, he said. ‘She was a human and did not deserve death in that way.’
Selamaj also didn’t face Sabina’s family when he was sentenced at the Old Bailey, refusing to come out of his cell to attend court in April.
A vigil was held in London this week to remember Sabina, whose family describe her as ‘funny, lovable and caring’.
Her loved ones have said her murder will ‘torment them for the rest of their lives’.
Heartbroken sister Jebina Islam has called for change, saying ‘it’s time to put an end to violence against women and girls’.
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