Murdered Zara Aleena’s family slam ‘unjust’ rules that let her killer avoid facing them at sentencing hearing when he refused to leave his cell – as Dominic Raab plans law change to force criminals to appear in the dock

• Zara Aleena, 35, was murdered by Jordan McSweeney, 29, on June 26 this year
• McSweeney refused to attend his sentencing at the Old Bailey earlier this week 
• He said he ‘didn’t want to relive’ the night he brutally killed the aspiring lawyer
• Ms Aleena’s family have called it ‘unjust’ that he was allowed to avoid them  

The family of a woman who was brutally murdered as she walked home from a night out has said her killer should have faced them in court so they could ‘look him in the eye’ while he was sentenced.

Aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, was sexually assaulted before she was killed in Ilford, east London in the early hours of June 26 this year by a man who had been released from prison less than two weeks before.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 38 years this week after pleading guilty to murder and sexual assault Ms Aleena.

The sexual predator refused to come up from his cell for his sentencing at the Old Bailey, with the court being told that McSweeney, who had 28 previous convictions, ‘didn’t want to relive’ the night.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, (pictured) was given a life sentence with a minimum of 38 years this week after pleading guilty to murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena 

Aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, (pictured) was sexually assaulted before she was killed in Ilford, east London in the early hours of June 26 this year by a man who had been released from prison less than two weeks before

Ms Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, a 55-year-old psychotherapist, criticised the ‘unjust’ rules that allowed McSweeney to avoid facing the family who would have wanted to ‘look him in the eye’.

She told The Sunday Times: ‘To allow him not to have to relive it, to allow him that, seems so unjust. It seems very biased towards his rights and absolutely no concern for ours.’

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab echoed these views, pledging to crackdown on the rules and force criminals to face victims’ families in the future.

He told Sunday Times columnist Dominic Lawson: ‘Those convicted of serious offences should face the judge and their victims at sentencing. That is part of justice being seen to be done.

Ms Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, a 55-year-old psychotherapist criticised the ‘unjust’ rules that allowed McSweeney to avoid facing the family who would have wanted to ‘look him in the eye’

Upon sentencing Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: ‘The defendant had the physical advantages of strength and surprise. In everything else she was better than him. She was talented, spirited, intelligent and kind’

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab pledged to crackdown on the rules and force criminals to face victims’ families in the future

‘At the moment, offenders who refuse to attend court can be sanctioned while in prison (by losing privileges) but I want to go further and legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows to give courts the power to compel them to attend.’

Mr Raab said he promised to give courts the powers to make offenders attend court ‘as soon as parliamentary time allows’. He has also launched a ‘serious case review’ to see if any mistakes had been made with McSweeney’s case.

The attorney-general has been asked to review McSweeney’s punishment under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, with the aspiring lawyer’s family saying they would ‘welcome’ McSweeney being in prison ‘for the rest of his life’.

McSweeney has 28 previous convictions in total, for 69 separate offences, which include burglary, theft of a vehicle, criminal damage, assaulting police officers and assaulting members of the public while on bail.

In separate incidents, McSweeney had tried to assault a 12-year-old girl, throttled, slapped and pushed an ex-girlfriend downstairs, and punched and hit another former partner.

The murderer was released from a jail sentence for robbery on June 17, but by June 22 the Probation Service had commenced recall proceedings.

In separate incidents, McSweeney (pictured) had tried to assault a 12-year-old girl, throttled, slapped and pushed an ex-girlfriend downstairs, and punched and hit another former partner

Ms Aleena’s family paid tribute to her, calling her the ‘centre of our family’ who ‘brought energy’, ‘light’ and ‘fun’

Just nine days after his release he killed Ms Aleena.

Metropolitan Police said it was informed of proceedings on June 24, the next day officers went to an address linked to McSweeney to arrest him, but they were unable to find him – he was subsequently arrested on June 27.

McSweeney is not the only killer who has managed to avoid facing his victim’s family.

Upon sentencing, Koci Selamaj, who killed 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, refused to appear in the dock.

Similarly, Emma Tustin, who was sentenced to life in prison after killing her stepson, six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, refused to come to court.

The court heard McSweeney had been kicked out of a pub before he ‘roamed the streets looking for a woman to attack and to sexually assault’.

He followed a number of woman before following Ms Aleena.

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow told the court: ‘The defendant saw her, decided to follow her, and was determined to assault her. He approached her from behind, grabbed her around the neck and dragged her into a driveway.

‘Despite being only yards from a public street and from onlooking houses, the defendant attacked her with a savagery that is almost impossible to believe.

‘He repeatedly kicked and stamped on her head and body, he tore some of her clothes from her body in order that he could sexually assault her; and then he attacked her again, kicking and stamping on her face and neck, and returning several times to continue the brutal violence.’

The victim had been dragged to a driveway where she was strangled until she was unconscious.

Zara Aleena was brutally attacked by McSweeney as she walked down Cranbrook Road in Ilford on June 26 this year

McSweeney then removed her leggins and underwear so he could sexually assault her, before stamping on her so she could ‘never tell anybody what had been done to her’.

He went on to chuck her phone over a garden wall so it was out of reach. 

Ms Aleena’s keys with two large purple heart keyrings and her underwear were found discarded a few doors down the street, her blue purse was found thrown in a bush and her leggings over a tree branch a little further.

Having arrived home, Ms Aleena’s friend Bhamini Bati called her mobile but she did not pick up. She sent a WhatsApp message at 2.20 which read ‘Y home hun?’ to which there was no reply.

Zara 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 

Ms Aleena was taken to hospital at around 4.30am and the cause of death was compression of the neck and blunt force to the head.

Her aunt, Ms Naz, said she relives her niece’s death ‘every single day. 

She said: ‘We barely sleep. I can’t think of a night where I’ve had a full night’s sleep since Zara was murdered.

‘We are traumatised.

‘It seems very strange that a defendant shouldn’t hear all the proceedings and be faced with what he did. And now he never will be.’

Her aunt paid tribute to Ms Aleena calling her the ‘centre of our family’ who ‘brought energy’, ‘light’ and ‘fun’. 

Upon sentencing Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: ‘The defendant had the physical advantages of strength and surprise. 

‘In everything else she was better than him. She was talented, spirited, intelligent and kind.’

Source: Read Full Article