Zara Aleena’s killer facing life for brutal sexually motivated attack

Jordan McSweeney had targeted more than one woman before he preyed on the 35-year-old as she walked home from a night out early on June 26.

Zara Aleena (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)

A sexual predator will be sentenced later for murdering law graduate Zara Aleena within days of being released from prison.

Jordan McSweeney had targeted more than one woman before he preyed on the 35-year-old as she walked home from a night out early on Sunday June 26.

Last month, McSweeney, 29, of Dagenham, Essex, pleaded guilty to her murder and sexual assault.

He will be sentenced on Wednesday by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey.

Previously, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow KC had said Ms Aleena “stood no chance” when she was targeted by McSweeney in Cranbrooke Road, Ilford, east London.

Ms Aleena was dragged into a driveway, brutally kicked, stamped on and sexually assaulted, then left for dead.

Emergency services were called at 2.44am after she was found with severe head injuries and struggling to breathe.

Ms Aleena was taken to hospital where she died later that morning from multiple injuries.

Police officers gathered CCTV footage, witness statements, DNA and even a bloody fingerprint left by the attacker at the scene.

Video footage from the area showed McSweeney appearing to target two other women before he followed Ms Aleena.

After the killing, other CCTV captured him returning to a caravan on a fairground, where police recovered Ms Aleena’s bloodstained clothes.

After being arrested, McSweeney refused to answer questions in a police interview.

The court was told McSweeney was a prolific offender and had been released from prison on licence on June 17 – just days before the murder.

He had been in prison for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife in prison.

In all, he has 28 previous convictions for 69 separate offences including burglary, theft of a vehicle, criminal damage, assaulting police officers and assaulting members of the public while on bail.

The Metropolitan Police said the Probation Service had commenced recall proceedings on June 22 after he missed two appointments.

The force said it was informed on June 24 and attended an address linked to McSweeney the following day to arrest him but he was not there, and he was subsequently arrested on June 27.

A spokesperson said: “The actions of officers following McSweeney’s recall to prison were reviewed by officers from the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards who found there was no indication of misconduct.”

Ms Aleena had begun working at the Royal Courts of Justice five weeks before her death and was “the happiest she had ever been”, her family said.