Murderer serving life stabbed prison guard with porcelain shard from toilet seat at HMP Frankland

Koci Selamaj was already serving a life sentence for murdering primary school teacher Sabina Nessa when he stabbed a prison guard. Credit: Metropolitan Police

A sexual predator serving at least 36 years for the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa stabbed a prison guard with a porcelain shard from a broken toilet seat, a court has heard.

Garage worker Koci Selamaj, 37, was already serving a life sentence at Frankland Prison near Durham when he stabbed the guard in May 2023.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Selamaj had smashed the toilet bowl in his cell and used a shard from it to stab the guard.

He punched another officer two or three times in the face as they came to the aid of their colleague, who had been stabbed in the knee and the forearm.

The stabbing happened at HMP Frankland near Durham. Credit: PA Images

He has since been moved to Broadmoor secure hospital, which is where he watched the proceedings in Court from via videolink.

The 37-year-old garage worker was previously given a life sentence in April 2022 for murdering Ms Nessa, 28, as she walked though Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, on her way to meet a friend.

He carried out the sexually motivated murder in September 2021 when he ran up behind Ms Nessa and hit her repeatedly over the with a metal traffic triangle. The court heard the stabbing at HMP Frankland in May last year happened with Selamaj in his cell when he was asked by a prison officer whether he would be leaving for lunch.

The defendant screamed and began smashing up his toilet, before using part of the seat as a weapon.

Judge Penny Moreland deemed the shard from the toilet seat to be sharp enough to be considered like a blade.

In a statement, the stabbed officer said he had never been assaulted in a decade as a prison guard and added he had loved his job.

He described Selamaj's strength as "unbelievable" and said he felt "lucky" the attack was not more serious.

The guard added: “Selamaj is in prison for murder so I know what he is capable of.”

Defending Selamaj, Aidan Harvey said the life prisoner used to hear voices and thought "the electricity in the wall was talking to him."

Mr Harvey added Selamaj's mental condition has improved since beginning treatment at Broadmoor.  

Selmaj admitted wounding one guard with intent to cause really serious harm at the maximum security jail, as well as assaulting another occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

The judge ruled he will only serve the sentence for attacking the prison officers once he has completed the minimum term for murdering Ms Nessa.

He will be at least 73 years old before he is eligible to apply for parole.


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