Zara Aleena family angry as killer's sentence cut

Zara Aleena was injured 46 times in the attack

The family of Zara Aleena have hit out at a move to reduce her killer's sentence, saying they are "extremely disappointed".

Jordan McSweeney, who stalked and murdered Zara, won a Court of Appeal challenge to have his minimum tariff of 38 years slashed.

In a ruling on Friday, three appeal judges cut his sentence to 33 years.

Her aunt Farah Naz said it sends a message sent to women that "their suffering won't be accounted for".

McSweeney had been released from prison on licence nine days before the murder.

Ms Naz told BBC Breakfast: "Even though the ruling appears to align with an established sentencing framework, there are questions that arise for us."

She questioned why the appeal judges had overruled the sentence handed down by the original trial judge "who was involved with the case for over six months".

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McSweeney had admitted murder and sexual assault but refused to attend his sentencing hearing last December, when the original tariff and a mandatory life sentence were imposed.

His brutal attack on the 35-year-old law graduate on Cranbrook Road in Ilford lasted nine minutes and resulted in her suffering 46 separate injuries.

Jordan McSweeney's murder of Ms Aleena was the "culmination of hours of planning", a court heard

During the appeal hearing, his barrister George Carter-Stephenson KC had argued that the sentencing judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, had wrongly factored in the "aggravating features" in the case.

Mr Carter-Stephenson said it was accepted there was a sexual motive to the crime, but argued the murder itself was not premeditated.

Ms Naz said: "We're told he was looking for a sexual encounter, that's ludicrous.

"He was looking for an opportunity for his sadistic expression and it is that which they've now excluded."

Farah Naz said the sentence reduction sends a "disheartening" message to women

She said that McSweeney had "spat in the face of the law" by his refusal to participate in the original legal proceedings.

"He gets the law to stand up for him and exercise his right. Surely somebody who has such a disdain for the law should not be given that right," she said.

Killed Walking Home

Zara Aleena was killed walking back from a night out by a sexual predator, only recently released from prison, labelled a "danger to any woman".

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