The inquest into the death of 35-year-old Zara Aleena continues today, with jurors asked to consider whether police could have done more to stop her killer.

Aleena, a law graduate was walking home after a night out in Ilford, east London in the early hours of 26 June 2022 when she was murdered by Jordan McSweeney.

She was just 10 minutes away from home when she was attacked on Cranbrook Road. According to her family, knew the area well and felt “safe” there.

McSweeney had 28 previous convictions for 69 crimes dating back to 2006, according to court documents, and had only been out of prison on licence for nine days when he targeted Aleena.

Aleena was later found struggling to breathe on someone’s driveway, was taken to Royal London Hospital and later died of her injuries. A post-mortem examination gave Aleena’s cause of death as blunt force trauma injury and neck compression.

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Family members of Aleena described her as a “joy to all of us”. In a tribute message, they said: “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.

Watch: Zara Aleena’s aunt: Probation have blood on their hands

“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.”

Aleena’s family would use their tragedy as a platform to call for an end to violence against women and girls, and would later go on to say how “disheartening” it was that her killer successfully appealed to have his sentence reduced.

McSweeney was initially handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years in December 2022 after admitting Aleena’s murder and sexual assault.

He made a bid at the Court of Appeal to have his minimum sentence reduced, and in November, three judges reduced his minimum term to 33 years, describing the original sentence as “manifestly excessive”.

Following the decision, the trainee solicitor’s family branded McSweeney a “repugnant man” and said the decision sent a “disheartening” message to women.

In a statement issued afterwards, Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, said: “In the wake of this decision, we choose to relegate this man to obscurity, hoping that society forgets him as a meaningless and despicable individual. Our focus now lies elsewhere.

“Zara, a beacon of hope, a symbol of change. Her tragic murder stands as a catalyst for reshaping how society safeguards women. She serves as our guiding light, and we invite each and every one of you to stand with us in preserving her memory, supporting our campaigning efforts, and ensuring that her legacy is not forgotten.”

Could police have done more to stop Zara Aleena’s killer?

Coroner Nadia Persaud said she would empanel a jury for the month-long inquest into Zara Aleena’s death.

She said she had “reason to suspect” that the Metropolitan Police “could and should have done more to locate Mr McSweeney prior to his attack”, adding that this is a question jurors will be tasked with answering.

“The inquest into the death of Zara Aleena will consider the actions of police officers and will also consider the actions of prison and probation staff,” Persaud added. “These are all agents of the state who play a role in keeping the public safe.”

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 says an inquest must be held with a jury if a senior coroner has reason to suspect the death resulted from an act or omission of a police officer in the execution of their duty.

Ms Persaud said: “Acts or omissions of police officers who were tasked with recalling Mr McSweeney falls within the scope of this inquest.”

McSweeney was released on licence from prison on June 17 2022 and, after missing successive appointments, the Probation Service recalled him to prison on June 24 2022 — but police did not find him at the address he had given.