Zara Aleena: The prolific offender who murdered a law graduate

Jordan McSweeney has been jailed for life, after admitting murdering aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena as she walked home from an east London bar. Chilling CCTV footage recovered from that night reveals the prolific criminal trailed other lone women before singling out and killing one he had never met before.

Just after 02:30 on 26 June, Ms Aleena was found on a pavement not far from her home, in Ilford.

Her belongings were strewn along Cranbrook Road. She had been badly beaten, was partially naked and struggling to breathe.

Another woman gave the 35-year-old cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until paramedics arrived. Ms Aleena died later that morning in hospital.

Detectives immediately began extensive inquiries in the area where she was found.

Officers gathered CCTV footage to trace her attacker's movements.

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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Clips were circulated within the Metropolitan Police - and one officer, recognising him from a previous encounter, came forward to provide a name, Jordan McSweeney.

At the time, McSweeney was working at a fairground in Valentine's Park - close to where he attacked Ms Aleena - and the footage shows him climbing a fence to the park after the attack.

Det Ch Insp Dave Whellams sent an officer to the fairground, with an image of the prime suspect, to see if anyone else recognised him.

"Lo and behold, 'Yes,' they said," Det Ch Insp Whellams says. "'That's Jordan McSweeney'."

"And then the next question was, 'Do you know where he is?' And the answer to that was, 'Yes he's in that caravan asleep.'"

"That was how quick it all took place."

More CCTV footage shows McSweeney walking through the fairground site, bustling with families, hours after attacking Ms Aleena, clutching a plastic bag.

Found in the fairground ticket office, it contained the bloodstained clothes and shoes he wore during the attack.

Arrested and interviewed extensively by officers, McSweeney sat in silence, refusing to provide his name or details of where he lived.

But more and more CCTV footage was being uncovered - and officers were able to work out what led up to him killing Ms Aleena.

McSweeney was clearly intent on finding a woman to attack that evening.

The footage shows him following two lone women - for prolonged periods, not just a few minutes - the first at 00:05, just after being thrown out of an Ilford bar, staggering along Romford Road towards Manor Park before trying to catch up with her.

Seemingly intent on not losing her, McSweeney follows the woman into a shop, then loiters outside until she emerges. But after about 20 minutes, she runs down a side street and enters a house.

Just before 02:00, as the streets start to quieten, McSweeney spots a second woman, on Cranbrook Road.

The footage clearly shows him striding quickly towards her, catching up as she turns on to Northbrook Road.

But she makes it home safely, leaving McSweeney to once again loiter and head back on to Cranbrook Road.

Ms Aleena is also alone, walking home after an evening with a friend.

And following her, McSweeney becomes "fixated".

"His very demeanour, the way he is, the focus that he has and his don't-care-less attitude," Det Ch Insp Whellams says, "he is somebody… that we really can't allow out on the streets."

Just nine days earlier, McSweeney was freed on licence from a prison sentence for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife.

One of the conditions was he attend probation appointments.

After missing two, he had to be recalled to jail. And on 22 June, the Probation Service started these proceedings.

Two days later, the police were told - and within hours, went to McSweeney's mother's house to arrest him.

But he was not there - and within 24 hours, had murdered Ms Aleena.

Timeline:

17 June - McSweeney leaves prison on licence but fails to attend a probation appointment

20 June - McSweeney fails to attend a second probation appointment

22 June - The Probation Service starts recall proceedings

24 June - In the afternoon, the police are told McSweeney has been recalled

25 June - In the early hours, officers visit McSweeney's mother's house to arrest him - but he is not there

26 June - Just after 02:30, McSweeney murders Ms Aleena

McSweeney had no shame about his past criminality.

On his social-media accounts, he would post comments about court appearances and jail time.

He has 28 previous convictions for 69 offences, including burglary, assaults on police and members of the public, criminal damage, theft of motor vehicle, driving offences, offences committed while on bail, and shoplifting.

Those between 2006 and 2009, dating back to when he was 13, were dealt with by juvenile courts in Kent.

In August 2010, aged 17, McSweeney was convicted of assaulting a young woman, leaving her with a swollen eye, and given a four-month detention-and-training order.

Eleven years later, a three-year restraining order was placed on him, preventing him from directly or indirectly contacting another woman.

"He can only be described as a danger to women," Det Ch Insp Whellams says.

The detective is adamant officers did all they could with the information given to them at the time of the hunt for McSweeney after Ms Aleena's murder.

Officers' actions following McSweeney's recall to prison were reviewed by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.

No indication of misconduct had been found, the Met said.

But, the Ministry of Justice has moved to investigate the circumstances around McSweeney's recall to prison.

A spokeswoman said: "Those on licence are required to abide by strict conditions and will be immediately recalled to custody if necessary.

"A serious-further-offence review is under way - and we cannot comment until this is completed."