Meanwhile outside the Old Bailey a number of women have gathered to protest at violence against women.

Demonstrators appear to have come from several groups, including domestic violence charity Refuge, and Reclaim These Streets.

A small group of people have gathered, each carrying placards bearing a picture of Zara Aleena and the words "never forgotten".

Reclaim These Streets describes the event as "a peaceful demonstration to show support for Zara Aleena's family and demand an end to VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls)".

Helena Wilkinson
BBC News correspondent, Old Bailey

The judge has now risen so that McSweeney's barrister George Carter-Stephenson KC can go down to the cells to speak to him.

We will wait to see if McSweeney changes his mind and decides to come up to the dock to face Zara Aleena's family who are in court.

Thomas Mackintosh
reporting from the Old Bailey

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb has walked into courtroom two.

Everyone is standing in silence as she takes her seat.

Met Police officers involved in the case are also in the court opposite the press bench.

Everyone is in position - with one notable absence - Jordan McSweeney.

His defence barrister says McSweeney knows CCTV will be played and he "does not want to relive" what happened on 26 June.

"He simply wants to be sentenced and expressed a wish to be returned to Belmarsh," George Carter-Stephenson KC says.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb expresses a wish for McSweeney to be in court and urges Mr Carter-Stephenson to encourage McSweeney to come to the dock.

Helena Wilkinson
reporting from the Old Bailey

I am sat in Court 2 at the Old Bailey and an officer has just come up from the cells into the dock.

The courtroom – which has seen some of the most high profile cases - is starting to fill up with barristers and media. Zara’s family have also just arrived.

From where they are sitting they’ll get a clear view of McSweeney when he is brought up from the cells.

Image source, Met police

While we wait for the sentencing hearing to begin, here are some more details on how McSweeney was caught after the attack.

The Met Police said detectives immediately began carrying out extensive enquiries, finding Zara Aleena’s belongings strewn along Ilford's Cranbrook Road and in gardens near to where she had been attacked.

They collected CCTV to trace her attacker’s movements in an effort to figure out where he may have gone.

His image was circulated to officers and the public, with an officer who had previously dealt with him coming forward to provide Jordan McSweeney’s name.

On 27 June, the day after the attack, more CCTV showed McSweeney climbing over a fence into nearby Valentines Park after making off from the murder scene.

Officers were sent to the park and he was found in a caravan on a funfair site.

McSweeney was arrested on suspicion of murder and was ultimately charged in the early hours of 29 June.

Thomas Mackintosh
reporting from the Old Bailey

If you’re not familiar with the court system, here’s what’s likely to happen today.

We are expecting Jordan McSweeney to appear in the dock shortly. The 29-year-old will stand there while Zara Aleena’s friends and family, as well as officers in the case and people in the public gallery, listen and watch on.

I am sitting on the press bench of the courtroom waiting for proceedings to begin - many journalists from national newspapers and broadcasters are also here.

We will all listen to the prosecution outline the facts of the case. The prosecutor is Oliver Glasgow KC and we can also expect him to set out aggravating factors as to why McSweeney should get a higher sentence.

One of these factors will likely be the fact he was on licence and was released from prison just days before he murdered Zara Aleena.

In this part of a sentencing hearing, we also often hear victim impact statements.

Sometimes these are read out in person while on other occasions they are read out by the prosecutor, or the judge will acknowledge that they have seen them in advance.

Then McSweeney’s defence barrister will stand up to provide mitigation on behalf of their client, setting out reasons as to why McSweeney should get a lower sentence.

Once that is all done the judge will weigh up both arguments on what sentence they will pass.

Often there is a bit of a wait while the judge considers what has been said, then the judge will read out their remarks and pass sentence. This is the part which is broadcast.

Image source, Met Police

Jordan McSweeney pleaded guilty to murdering Zara Aleena and sexually assaulting her - but this killer has a history of crime.

Born in March 1993, he has no fixed address but is known to have lived in and around the east London area of Dagenham.

He had 28 previous convictions for offences, including assault, robbery and breaches of bail conditions.

At the time of the killing, McSweeney was free on licence from a sentence for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife in prison. This means he was released from prison under certain conditions and was being supervised by probation.

The BBC understands that two days before the killing, his licence was revoked by the Probation Service due to missed appointments and that although the matter was being processed by the authorities, McSweeney had not been officially recalled at the point he murdered Aleena.

Image source, Sherit Nair

Known to her friends as Zash or Zasherooni, Zara Aleena was an aspiring lawyer who wanted to practise as a solicitor having completed her Legal Practice Course.

Weeks prior to her death she had been offered a job at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Farah Naz, Zara Aleena’s aunt, said she was always thinking, planning and dreaming, and described her as a family person.

"She's also a loyal friend and community person so she would give herself to people and that interrupted some of her studies, which is why she didn't get it done as fast as she would have liked," Naz added.

Watch more from Farah Naz who in July spoke to the BBC about Zara Aleena.

On the evening of 25 June, Zara Aleena was enjoying an evening out with a friend visiting several bars in the centre of Ilford, in east London.

At about 2am on 26 June her friend left in a taxi while Aleena set off to make her journey home on foot.

She left the bar, walked up the High Road and onto Cranbrook Road in the direction of Gants Hill Tube station.

Along this road she was followed by Jordan McSweeney - a stranger to her who at 02:17 attacked Aleena from behind, dragged her to the ground, kicked and stamped on her repeatedly.

At 02:33 passers-by came to Aleena’s aid with one woman giving CPR until the arrival of the ambulance.

Sadly, despite their efforts and those of medical staff, Aleena died in hospital later that morning.

Image source, .

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage from the Old Bailey, where we will see Jordan McSweeney sentenced later today for the murder of law graduate Zara Aleena.

Aleena, 35, was beaten to death in the early hours of the morning of 26 June as she walked home from a night out in Ilford, east London.

McSweeney - who was a stranger to Aleena - pleaded guilty to murder and sexual assault last month and he will be jailed in a few hours.

The BBC’s Helena Wilkinson and Thomas Mackintosh will be bringing you live updates from the hearing at the Old Bailey throughout the day.

And a recent change in the law means you’ll also be able to watch the sentencing live when it happens by clicking the play icon at the top of this page.

Image source, PA Media