A man of no fixed abode has been charged with the murder of Zara Aleena, who died after being attacked at Cranbrook Road, in Ilford, the Metropolitan Police said.
Aleena, 35, was found with extensive head injuries on Sunday (26) morning and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Jordan McSweeney, 29, has been charged with the murder attempted rape and robbery. He will appear in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (29), the Met police said.
According to a report in the Guardian, Aleena had a law degree from the University of Westminster and wanted to be a solicitor.
The Met Police launched a murder investigation and announced they arrested a man on Monday (27) on suspicion of murder.
The police said that Aleena died after a “horrific assault” close to her home. She was found with extensive head injuries on Sunday by passersby in Cranbrook Road.
Later, a postmortem revealed no evidence of the use of a weapon to inflict the injuries.
According to the Guardian report, Aleena was walking along Cranbrook Road towards Gants Hill station when she was assaulted.
The report added that she had worked as an administrative officer at the Royal Courts of Justice, and previously worked to resettle refugees.
Her family, in a statement, said that her loss was 'irreparable and the void feels insurmountable.'
“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," the family was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“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.”
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)