Zara Aleena’s ‘savage’ killer will always be danger to women, his ex warns

Jordan McSweeney was jailed for life last week after refusing to show up for his sentencing

The predator who murdered and sexually assaulted an aspiring lawyer walking home alone from a night out will always remain a danger to women, his former girlfriend has warned.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, was released from jail on licence just days before killing law graduate Zara Aleena in a ferocious assault in Ilford, east London in June last year.

The repeat offender didn’t show up as he was sentenced to life in prison with a 38-year minimum term.

Jordan McSweeney refused to appear for his sentencing (PA Wire)

Samantha Bryan, who went out with McSweeney for four years, said he subjected her to a campaign of horrific abuse.

The 30 year-old said McSweeney should never be released from prison and told of her regret of not pressing charges against the “wannabe gangster” after he stamped on her head.

“Zara’s poor family should have been able to look him in the eye,” she toldMail Online. They will never get the justice they deserve. He is a coward.

“His whole demeanour towards the judicial process has been a joke. The constant refusal to attend court and the refusal to own up to what he did until he had no other choice was absolutely disgusting.”

“I hope he never comes out of prison alive and the torment gets to him every day.”

Zara Aleena was walking home from a night out when she was killed (Family handout)

During his trial at the Old Bailey in London, the jury heard how McSweeney had targeted more than one woman before he preyed on Ms Aleena, who prosecutors said “stood no chance” against his attack.

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

McSweeney, of Dagenham, Essex, previously pleaded guilty to murdering and sexually assaulting Ms Aleena but refused to come up from the cells at the Old Bailey to be sentenced by Ms Justice Cheema-Grubb on Wednesday.

McSweeney’s lawyer told the court that the defendant was “truly sorry for what he has done”. But the judge responded queried: “Where is the evidence of that?”

The aspiring lawyer’s family said she had brought “joy, colour and light” to their lives (Family handout)

Sentencing McSweeney, the judge said that he had been “prowling the streets of Ilford looking for women to attack”.

She told the court that McSweeney was “wholly aware of what he was doing” when he attacked Ms Aleena. “After satisfying his lust, he proceeded to destroy the woman he had just degraded,” she said.

She condemned McSweeney’s decision not to come to court to face his sentence, saying he had “no spine whatsoever”.

Members of Ms Aleena’s family could not address McSweeney directly as they spoke in court about how her death has impacted them.

Floral tributes to Ms Aleena left at the scene (PA)

He aunt Farah Naz, said: “Zara was murdered in 20 minutes, she lost everything. We lost her and more. When a human is murdered, a family is murdered.”

She said her niece “brought a zest to our lives, joy, colour and light”.

She added: “Zara’s teenage cousins are afraid of the world, afraid of strangers and have experienced panic for the first time. Every day it is like pushing a rock the size of a planet.”

“We are on our knees shuffling through a horror movie,” Ms Naz said.

CCTV caught McSweeney just before he attacked Ms Aleena (PA)

Ms Aleena’s grandmother, Rashida Pareen, struggled to speak through her tears as she told the court that she felt “completely broken”.

She said she hoped McSweeney “would never find peace”.