During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that Selamaj had driven from his hometown of Eastbourne to Kidbrooke on the evening of the murder after unsuccessfully “trawling” Brighton for a potential sexual encounter.

“The offence was planned over some days,” prosecutor Alison Morgan QC said. “On the day of the attack, the defendant demonstrated his sexual motivation by his unsuccessful attempts to get his former partner to engage in sexual activity with him.

“Having failed, the defendant then travelled to an area where he knew he would not be known and where he assumed he would not be detected in order to commit the attack. He sought out a vulnerable, lone female at night, before returning swiftly back to Eastbourne, disposing of the murder weapon along the route back.”

While there was “no definitive pathological evidence” of a sexual assault, the court was told that it could not be ruled out.

Nessa’s relatives left the room as the court was played CCTV footage of the prolonged attack, where Selamaj used a metal warning triangle from his car as a weapon.

Sabina Nessa: Koci Selamaj sentenced to life in prison for her “savage” murder