Zara Aleena's aunt slams her evil killer as he walks out of own appeal hearing
The aunt of murdered Zara Aleena has slammed her evil killer’s “audacity” for appearing at an appeal against his life sentence just months after refusing to attend his own sentencing.
Cowardly Jordan McSweeney – trying to reduce his minimum 38-year jail term for killing Zara over video link from prison - walked out of his own appeal hearing today after just 45 minutes saying he had “heard enough”. Aunt Farah Naz said the act “underscored his enduring disregard” for Zara and her family, who were denied the opportunity to deliver their victim impact statements to him when he dodged his own sentencing last December.
She to the Daily Mirror: “It is beyond belief that this individual, who was too spineless to attend his own sentencing, has the audacity to appeal the very sentence he couldn't be bothered to witness. His cowardly absence at his sentencing displayed a lack of responsibility and accountability, and a blatant disrespect for the justice system as well a mockery of the suffering our family has endured.
Zara Aleena (PA)
Jordan McSweeney who has been jailed for life at the Old Bailey for a minimum term of 38 years (PA)“He has consistently displayed a complete lack of remorse in his behaviour his indifference and impoliteness when leaving the prison's video room, declaring he had heard enough, during the ongoing proceedings, were nothing short of expected. His actions underscore his enduring disregard for all. This appeal, coming after a trial where he was sentenced, has reignited the agony of the atrocious crime committed. We firmly believe that his minimum sentence should not be reduced, and he should serve a life imprisonment for the inhuman act he committed.”
Twisted McSweeney, 30, who stalked and brutally murdered the aspiring lawyer in Ilford, East London last year, had complained his sentence was “manifestly excessive”. At Friday's hearing at the Court of Appeal in London, he appeared for the start of proceedings via videolink from Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire. But about 45 minutes into proceedings, McSweeney got up and left, telling a prison guard he had "heard enough" and returned to his cell.
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The moment McSweeney was arrested around 36 hours after the attack (PA)An unnamed prison officer, who appeared on the videolink too, said: “He’s heard enough and has got everything he requires in his cell.” The hearing continued in his absence and judges will reach a decision on his appeal next week.
McSweeney, who had 28 prior convictions for 69 offences, targeted at least five women before he attacked Zara Aleena in June 2022. He had been released from prison on licence just nine days earlier.
McSweeney stalked Zara, who had been on a night out with friends, down a road before grabbing her from behind and dragging her into a driveway. The attack, caught on CCTV, lasted nine minutes and resulted in 46 injuries. He fled with her handbag, mobile phone and keys at 2.44am.
Farah Naz, the maternal aunt of murdered law graduate Zara Aleena, during a sit down with the media in east London (PA)She died hours later in hospital. McSweeney, who refused to attend his sentencing hearing, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years after admitting murder and sexual assault. The killer’s decision to not attend the sentencing has infuriated Zara’s family and campaigners who have called for new laws to make it mandatory for all convicted criminals to attend sentencing.
Farah added: “By refusing to attend court, this man exercised the last bit of power he had over our family, telling us how little he cared for our grief and our pain. He brutally assaulted Zara, then murdered her - and then was allowed by the very system in which he had been found guilty of a terrible crime to hide away in the final hour of judgement. This cannot be right or fair. We anticipate that Justice Cheema Grubb's sentencing will be upheld and receive validation from the judges currently deliberating the defense's stance today, with their final judgment expected within the next week or so.”
Farah has since had discussions with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Justice Secretary about changing the law.
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