Jordan McSweeney, 29, attacked Zara Aleena in June 2022, nine days after his parole release.
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McSweeney was sentenced to 38 years in prison by an Old Bailey judge in December for the “terrifying and ruthless” attack on Ms Aleena, 35.
The 29-year-old had 28 prior convictions dating back to 2006 for 69 crimes. Prior to the attack on Ms Aleena in the early hours of June 26, they ranged from racially motivated offences, driving offences, and assault on police to battery and assault causing actual bodily harm. He also had a history of violence against ex-partners.
He was released from custody on June 17, 2022, after serving a portion of a custodial sentence. On June 21, he moved in with a friend in his caravan at Valentine Park in Ilford. He was supposed to attend probation officer appointments as part of his licence release, but he did not. Breach of this condition, he would have been told, would result in his arrest and return to detention. On June 24, his licence was revoked. Jordan McSweeney was prowling the streets of Ilford on the night of June 26th, just nine days after his release from prison.
Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, has now ordered a review of how probation staff supervised McSweeney after it was revealed that he had been released from prison on licence – where individuals are released from jail but must serve part of their sentence in the community – nine days before the murder.
“Jordan McSweeney should have been considered a high risk of serious harm offender,” said chief inspector of probation Justin Russell in the report. If he had, more immediate action would have been taken to recall him to prison after he failed to appear for his supervision appointments following his release from custody.
This was a despicable crime,” Prisons and Probation Minister Damian Hinds said. I apologise unreservedly to Zara Aleena’s family for the unacceptable failings in this case.
We are addressing the serious issues raised by the Jordan McSweeney and Damien Bendall cases right away. This includes mandatory training to improve risk assessments, the implementation of new processes to ensure the prompt recall of offenders, and disciplinary action where appropriate.” We are also investing £155 million per year in the Probation Service to hire thousands more officers to provide tougher supervision, protect the public, and ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.”