At an inquest into her death, the family of Zara Aleena have shared the “torture” of thinking her murder was “preventable”.

Aleena, a 35-year-old law graduate, was attacked and killed by Jordan McSweeney as she walked home from a night out in Ilford, east London, in June 2022. McSweeney, who had been described during his trial as a “danger to any woman”,  was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting to her murder and sexual assault.

In November 2023, following a court of appeal challenge, he had his minimum prison sentence reduced after three judges found the sentencing judge had imposed too high an “uplift” to McSweeney’s minimum term and cut it to 33 years.

As part of the inquest, Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, told the jury at east London coroner’s court in Walthamstow that a “crumbling justice system” contributed to the death of her niece. McSweeney had gained his freedom on licence on 17 June 2022; however, due to violated conditions, it was decided he’d be sent back behind bars on 24 June 2022, two days before he murdered Aleena. She expressed the family’s torment, stating that they are “tortured by thoughts that her death was preventable and that our state system that we entrusted failed our Zara, failed us”.

“Since her death we have been campaigning so that our daughters, sisters, friends can be safe and protected as Zara never was. This is Zara’s legacy,” Naz said.

“2022 was to be her year to live her wildest dreams. She wanted to buy her own home, find Mr Right and to have children. The future looked bright,” she said. “One of the things she used to confidently say is ‘I know I’m a good person.’ She would affirm here today ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’”

Naz also shared that Aleena “wasn’t just surviving, she was thriving”, adding: “Zara walked everywhere and one night she walked home from an evening out with a friend, she was sexually assaulted and murdered. She was 35 years old.

“She believed that a woman should be allowed to walk home, and her dreams, her future was brutally taken.”

Coroner Nadia Persaud said the purpose of the inquest was to “consider the circumstance by which Zara came by her death, which will include whether any actions or omissions of state bodies contributed to her death”. It is expected to last for four weeks.

Images: Met Police