Zara Aleena's murderer storms out of his own appeal saying he's 'heard enough'
The murderer of Zara Aleena has stormed out of his own appeal hearing to have his prison sentence cut after whinging he “heard enough”.
Jordan McSweeney returned to his own cell at the Court of Appeal hearing on Friday as his lawyer argued for his 38-year minimum sentence to be cut. The 30-year-old appeared over video link causing an abrupt pause in the case as he left his seat, with a prison officer saying he had "got everything he requires in his cell".
Barbaric McSweeney is serving a life sentence after he murdered 35-year-old law graduate Zara as she walked home in Ilford, East London, on June 26 last year. He refused to attend his sentencing at the Old Bailey in December, and has now launched a bid to get his jail term reduced.
His barrister George Carter-Stephenson KC said on Friday: "At the outset can I make it clear that it is accepted that the attack and murder in this case was particularly savage and brutal and nothing I intend to say in this address is in any way meant to detract from that." Mr Carter-Stephenson argued that Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, who passed McSweeney's sentence in December, had wrongly factored in the "aggravating features" in the case.
Aspiring lawyer Zara was murdered by evil Jordan McSweeney as she walked home from a night out (SWNS)He told the court Zara's murder had not been pre-meditated but "opportunistic", accepting there was a "sexual motive" to McSweeney's attack. He was obviously stalking women on that night, following them and looking for an opportunity. "He planned to look for a sexual encounter, with or without consent," the barrister said.
Zara Aleena's family accuse probation officers of having 'blood on their hands'
Mr George Carter-Stephenson said McSweeney became more aggressive as Zara fought back. "I don't mean to put any blame on the victim at all," he added. McSweeney walked out 45 minutes into the hearing, when there was a brief pause.
An unnamed prison officer, who appeared on the videolink with McSweeney, said: "He's heard enough and has got everything he requires in his cell." Mr Carter-Stephenson continued to argue the time Zara suffered had been "limited" which "must impact how one views that as an aggravating feature". He also said McSweeney had ADHD, which should have been taken into account in sentencing.
"They are wired somewhat differently than most people. They are impulsive... their behaviour is less predictable," he said. Assertions made for McSweeney however were rejected by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Oliver Glasgow KC for the CPS said McSweeney spent two hours stalking several women before targeting Zara. "This was not a moment of impulsive aggression," he said. "It was a considered act and the product of hours of pursing women along the streets. There was nothing that Zara Aleena did that provoked the violence that was given to her."
Mr Glasgow added McSweeney had shown no remorse for stealing Zara's life, and hadn't even bothered to show his face in the dock as he was sentenced. "This lack of remorse has been borne out for over a year," the barrister said.
The Old Bailey previously heard McSweeney stalked Zara before grabbing her from behind and dragging her into a driveway. The attack, caught on grainy CCTV, lasted nine minutes and resulted in 46 separate injuries.
Ms Aleena, who was training to be a solicitor, was found struggling to breathe and later died in hospital. Mr Glasgow described the attack as "utterly abhorrent" and said the sentencing judge was right to find McSweeney had no mitigation aside from his guilty pleas.
At the hearing before the Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr, Mrs Justice McGowan and Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, Lady Carr said their decision would be given in writing "as soon as possible".
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