A man has pleaded guilty to murdering primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.
Koci Selamaj attacked and strangled the 28-year-old as she walked through a park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, in September.
Ms Nessa had left her home to meet a friend at a bar when she was targeted by Selamaj, who was said to have travelled to London to carry out “a predatory attack on a stranger”.
The 36-year-old admitted murder at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Ms Nessa had been walking through Cator Park during the evening of 18 September when she was attacked and killed by Selamaj, who did not know her.
At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Alison Morgan QC described how the Albanian national drove to London from his home in Eastbourne to carry out what she described as “a pre-meditated and predatory attack on a stranger”.
The killing was carried out with “extreme violence”, Ms Morgan said, adding that the murder involved a sexual or sadistic element.
The court heard that CCTV showed Selamaj had spotted Ms Nessa and checked to see if there was anyone else around.
He then ran towards his victim and struck her 34 times using a metal traffic triangle, before carrying her away unconscious and strangling her in the park.
Selamaj disposed of the weapon in a river on his way back to Eastbourne.
The court heard he had previously been violent towards his former partner, putting his hands around her throat in a strangling motion.
Ms Nessa’s body, which was covered in grass, was discovered the following day with her tights and underwear removed and parts of her body exposed.
Ms Morgan said: “Some of her movements through the park and the attack on her were captured on CCTV footage.
“The male shown on that CCTV footage is alleged to be this defendant.”
Selamaj was arrested on 26 September in Eastbourne.
In a police interview, he made no comment except to deny murder when asked directly if he was responsible for killing Ms Nessa.
Earlier this year, a lawyer for the defendant confirmed that he accepted being the person caught on CCTV and that he had hit Ms Nessa a number of times.
The murder of Ms Nessa heightened concern for the safety of women and girls in the capital following the stranger murders of Sarah Everard, and sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.
In the days after her killing hundreds of people joined a vigil in Kidbrooke, with her family leading tributes.
Selamaj, who has no previous convictions, had pleaded not guilty to murder when he appeared in court in December.
However, he changed his plea to guilty and is due to be sentenced on 7 April.