Man pleads guilty to murder of London law graduate

A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of law graduate Zara Aleena as she walked home from a night out in east London.

Jordan McSweeney from Dagenham also admitted sexually assaulting the 35-year-old who died after being attacked in Ilford in June.

The 29-year-old had only recently been released from prison and had targeted more than one woman before he preyed on Zara as she walked home from a night out early on Sunday, June 26.

At a hearing on Friday, Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow KC had said McSweeney launched an "attack upon a lone female late at night making her way home, a woman who stood no chance".

The defendant had dragged Ms Aleena into a driveway in Cranbrook Road, Ilford, east London, where he subjected her to a ferocious assault. He sexually assaulted the law graduate and made off with her mobile phone, keys and handbag, the prosecution said.

Emergency services were called at 2.44am after she was found with severe head injuries, partially naked and struggling to breathe. Ms Aleena was taken to hospital where she died later that morning.

A post-mortem examination found she had suffered multiple serious injuries.

Police officers gathered CCTV footage, witness statements, DNA and fingerprint evidence.

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

After the killing, other CCTV captured him returning to his caravan in Dagenham, where police recovered Ms Aleena's bloodstained clothes. More bloodstains were found on a wall in Cranbrook Road with the defendant's fingerprint identified on them.

After his arrest, McSweeney refused to answer questions but told officers he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While in custody, he was also said to have threatened police officers.

Having been charged with murder, he was remanded into custody after a judge found he was a "substantial risk" to the public, especially lone women.

At a previous hearing, 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.

He has 28 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.

Ms Aleena's family described her as independent, big-hearted and a joy.

Her aunt Farah Naz had said her niece had been conscious of the dangers for women after the murders of Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman, Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. But she had felt "safe" walking in the community where she was well known.

Ms Naz said:

"Zara was not a woman who was unaware that there were dangers in the world. She did not imagine what happened to those women would happen to her.

"She didn't know she was going to be on this list because in her mind she took those precautions."

Passers-by came to her aid with one woman giving CPR until the arrival of the ambulance. Sadly, despite their efforts and those of medical staff, Zara died in hospital later that morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who led the investigation, said:

“This was a brutal attack on a lone woman walking home on a residential street. She had every right to be there, to feel safe and to get home unharmed but instead she was the victim of shocking violence.

“My thoughts are with Zara’s family and friends. I cannot imagine the pain they have experienced over the past five months. It is clear she was truly loved by those who knew her.”

DCI Whellams added:

“I would like to acknowledge the actions of passers-by and residents in the early hours of that morning. I am sure what they witnessed will stay with them forever and I want to acknowledge how they responded in a calm and brave way as they tried to come to Zara’s aid.

“I would also like to offer my thanks to those at the funfair in Valentines Park who assisted this investigation and who allowed us to carry out our enquiries in the days that followed the attack. I want to be clear that while McSweeney had been working and staying on the site, there is no information to suggest anyone else there had any knowledge of his terrible crimes.

“McSweeney is clearly a very dangerous individual and this plea means he is now certain to serve a lengthy sentence behind bars. Women in London are safer with him off the streets.”

Zara’s murder had a significant impact on the local community. In the week following her death, hundreds of local residents gathered to remember her and to show solidarity with her loved ones. They were joined by local officers who shared their sense of shock and sadness.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who is in charge of policing in the east of London including Redbridge, said: “In the days and weeks following Zara’s awful murder we worked closely with community representatives, the local authority and our partners to provide support and reassurance. That vital work continues.

“I made it clear at the time of this attack and I reiterate it now - women should not have to change their behaviour and should be able to go about their lives, feeling safe, at any time of day or night.

“It is our job to achieve that and across the Met, we are absolutely committed to rising to that challenge. Our focus on making public spaces safer for everyone, but particularly women and girls, and identifying offenders who wish to do them harm, is relentless. While we are achieving good results we know there is much more work to do.

“We will continue to engage with residents, with their elected representatives and with our partners to find realistic solutions to problems or vulnerabilities identified locally so that we can make changes that have a genuine impact on safety in our community.

“I would join DCI Whellams in praising the response of local people who came to Zara’s aid after she was attacked and to all those who have shown the strength, resilience and leadership to guide the community in the months since.”

McSweeney will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 14 December.

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