By Emily Caulkett-
A stranger’ accused of beating to death aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena as she walked home from a night out with friends is east London has been charged with murder.
Jordan McSweeney has appeared Thames Magistrates’ Court today, charged with murder, robbery and attempted rape following the brutal killing of the 35-year-old in Ilford in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He appeared in the dock in Bow this lunchtime. McSweeney wore a grey tracksuit to the short five-minute hearing, in which no plea was indicated. He was denied bail and remanded in custody to attend the Old Bailey on July 27.
The Metropolitan Police has said Ms Aleena died from severe head injuries after she was attacked in busy Cranbrook Road, with her screams waking up nearby residents who frantically dialled 999.
Paramedics rushed to the scene where they performed CPR for two hours before taking Ms Aleena to hospital at around 4.30am. She was declared dead shortly afterwards.
In a statement today, her heartbroken family said the last few days had been ‘shocking and unimaginable’, describing Ms Aleena as ‘everybody’s friend’ and ‘pure of heart.’
They added that she had wanted to be a lawyer from the age of five and that she ‘put her party shoes in her bag’ and ‘walked everywhere’ because ‘she believed that a woman should be able to walk home.’
She was described as a “joy to all of us”.
They said: “She was always the bigger person in any situation. She was authentic and refused to try and impress anyone but she impressed us.
“She was the rock of our family. Zara was stoic and held it all together and never complained. She glued our community together.”
Paramedics were called at about 02:45 BST on Sunday after Ms Aleena, who lived locally, was found by members of the public.
A post-mortem examination revealed she had “multiple serious injuries”.
Ms Aleena is the 16th woman in London and the 52nd woman in the UK to be killed by a man in 2022, with her case bearing a chilling similarity to those of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard, who were both slain while walking home in the capital last year.
Ms Aleena is said to have recently told a friend: ‘That won’t happen to us’, while discussing Ms Everard’s case, before tragically suffering a similar fate.
On Tuesday Ms Aleena’s friend Sophie told BBC News: “She was just a kind soul, the sweetest girl, she could never harm a fly.
“Always polite, always bubbly, the sweetest girl that you could ever meet really. So much going for her.”
A vigil for Ms Aleena is set take place this Saturday, with mourners planning to walk from the site of her attack to her home nearby. Attendees have been asked to wear white and to keep the mood ‘silent and sombre’ as they help to ‘bring her back to where she belonged safely.’
Her full statement read: Zara, 35, a beloved human, child, niece, cousin, granddaughter, friend to all, she was a joy to all of us. She was a carer for her mother, and her grandmother. Caring for others came so naturally to her. Zara was friendly, she was everybody’s friend. She was everybody’s daughter, everybody’s niece, everybody’s sister, everybody’s cousin. She was pure of heart.
She was a joy to all of us, her sparkling eyes and the curly, jet-black hair. Her glorious laughter and her sweet, smiling voice. Her tiny frame embodied a passionate spirit and indomitable energy.
Zara was brought up by the whole of our family. She was our love in human form. At the age of five she said she was going to be a lawyer. Shrieking with joy when she spotted the birds as a child – she would giggle and make us laugh. She was always the bigger person in any situation. She was authentic and refused to try and impress anyone but she impressed us. She was the rock of our family. Zara was stoic and held it all together and never complained. She glued our community together.
“Nobody worked harder than Zara” is what we heard from all who knew her. Zara was happy and at a point in her life when her joy was radiating and blossoming. She was ready to make a family of her own. Her sense of justice and fairness led her to a life of giving and caring for others – supporting refugees fleeing violence, giving voice to those who had less power. She had that special habit of noticing others in need and always put their needs on her agenda. A carefree spirit, with the most caring heart.
Zara was happy and at a point in her life that she had worked hard for, she had completed her Legal Practice Course so that she could practise as a solicitor. She only recently started working for the Crown Prosecution Service, to complete her two-year work placement in order to become a fully qualified solicitor. She was fierce: she didn’t just survive, she thrived.
She walked everywhere. She put her party shoes in a bag and donned her trainers. She walked. Zara believed that a woman should be able to walk home. Now, her dreams of a family are shattered, her future brutally taken.
Sadly, Zara is not the only one who has had her life taken at the hands of a stranger. We all know women should be safe on our streets. She was in the heart of her community, 10 minutes from home.
We all need to be talking about what happened to OUR ZARA, we all need to be talking about this tragedy.
These last few days have been shocking and unimaginable.
In a savage, sickening, act she was murdered by a stranger. She’s not the only woman who has lost her life like this. In the moment of this tragedy, we extend our deepest sympathy and love to the families of Bibaa Henry; Nicole Smallman; Sarah Everard; Sabina Nessa; Ashling Murphy and many more women.
We must PREVENT and STOP violence against women and girls.
Our loss is irreparable and the void feels insurmountable but the warmth and kindness that our community has shown is testament to the power of Zara’s spirit. Her life has been stolen from us. She has been stolen from us all.