Selamaj, of Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday before being taken into police custody and charged yesterday. A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a residential street about half a mile away.
It follows an urgent police appeal in which detectives released CCTV footage of a man they wished to speak to regarding the investigation.
Ms Nessa, 28, is believed to have left her home in Kidbrooke, south-east London, at about 8.30pm on September 17. Police believe she was heading to The Depot bar in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, to meet a friend but she never arrived.
Her body was discovered nearly 24 hours later covered with leaves near the OneSpace community centre in Cator Park.
The suspect is understood to have been working as a food delivery driver in Eastbourne and is thought to be originally from Eastern Europe.
A prison van arrives at Willesden court on Tuesday
/ Getty ImagesA 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. “He was so quiet, he didn’t say anything, just came to top up and left,” the staff member said of Selamaj.
Hundreds of Londoners gathered at a candlelit vigil on Friday to remember Ms Nessa. Her sister Jebina Yasmin Islam broke down as she address the crowds. In an emotional tribute, she said: “We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister who left this world far too early.
“Sabina loved her family. We have lost a sister, my parents have lost their daughter and my girls have lost such a brilliant, loving and caring auntie who dearly loved them. Words cannot describe how we are feeling… our world is shattered.”
A book of condolence has been opened inside the OneSpace centre.
Ms Nessa taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, south-east London.
Headteacher Lisa Williams said: “We are devastated by Sabina’s tragic death. 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.”
Ms Nessa’s death has led to a new outpouring of concern about women’s safety.
The cause of her death is unknown after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.
