Zara Aleena failed by ‘multiple agencies’ before she was murdered by killer just days after he was released from jail
ZARA Aleena was failed by ‘multiple agencies’ before she was murdered just days after her killer was released from jail.
Law graduate Zara, 35, was murdered as she walked home from a night out in east London in June 2022.
Failures “across multiple agencies” contributed to her death, an inquest jury has found today.
Jordan McSweeney was jailed for life with a minimum term of 33 years at the Old Bailey for Zara’s murder, rape and sexual assault.
He had been released from prison on licence nine days before his attack on Zara as she walked home from a night out in Ilford.
A probation report in January found he was not categorised as a high-risk offender when he should have been.
Zara died in hospital from a blunt force head injury and neck compression, the inquest jury said.
Area coroner Nadia Persaud paid tribute to Zara, who died two years ago to the day.
Ms Persaud said: “I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Zara.”
A video montage of pictures and videos from throughout Zara’s life was played to East London Coroner’s Court.
McSweeney was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting Ms Aleena’s murder and sexual assault.
In November 2023, he won a Court of Appeal bid to reduce the minimum term.
Evil McSweeney pounced on Zara as she walked home just nine days after he was released from a prison sentence.
The licence McSweeney was on at the time for a string of offences had been revoked after he failed to meet probation officers.
But he was not recalled to prison – and was free to roam the streets hunting for a victim.
McSweeney was on licence for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife in prison.
He had 28 previous convictions for 69 offences including burglary, assaults on police and assaults on members of the public.
In the early hours of June 26, 2022, McSweeney was captured on CCTV stalking the streets of East London.
At least four other women managed to escape the killer’s clutches as he followed them in the darkness.
One even ran for safety into a home on the same street were Zara was brutally murdered.
Her family previously told the inquest how they are “tortured by thoughts that Zara’s death was preventable”.
Aunt Farah Naz said her niece’s murder showed “the crumbling justice system that is meant to protect all of us, especially women and girls”.