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A victim impact statement is an important part of the criminal justice process.
They give those who've been affected by a crime a voice, allowing them to convey the impact of the crime, telling the person who committed it just what it has done to their lives.
But in this case McSweeney isn't listening to Zara's aunt Farah Naz as she tells of how their lives have been "destroyed".
He is down in the cells below, refusing to face his punishment.
Refusal to attend sentencing should incur an extra 5 years on the sentence. That would sort it.
And yet, IMO, it is the crowning moment of the whole trial - especially for grieving families - to see Justice done at last.At times it seems to be considered a "bolt-on" to the legal process, and not an important part of it.
From the video, a minimum of 38 years.Watch live: Jordan McSweeney sentenced for the murder of Zara Aleena
''Scheduled for Dec 14, 2022
14:30 update: Court is currently hearing witness impact statements and the stream will begin as soon as is allowed. Jordan McSweeney is being sentenced for the murder of Zara Aleena just days after being released from prison. The 29-year-old defendant, who had targeted more than one woman before he preyed on Ms Aleena, also pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Ms Aleena was walking home in Ilford, east London, after spending the evening with friends when she was attacked by McSweeney.''
There should be significant loss of any current or potential privileges and / or impact for sentencing for refusing to appear.They should be forced into court. I don't know why they let them choose.
38 years, hopefully he never sees freedom again.
That is gut wrenchingly disgusting. No mediating factors in what his lawyers said at all. He’s almost saying sween3y was willing to use any level of violence to get what he wanted. That’s outta this world.Zara Aleena was 'knocked out early', killer's lawyer argues in appeal
Jordan McSweeney killed 35-year-old law graduate Zara Aleena as she walked home from a night out in Ilford, east London, early on June 26 last year.www.dailymail.co.uk
The Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr said: "Having correctly found that Ms Aleena must have been rendered unconscious at an early stage in the attack, the judge had lacked a sufficient evidential basis on which to be sure that there had been additional mental or physical suffering such as to justify an increase in the 30-year starting point."
Sexual predator has minimum term of life sentence cut from 38 to 33 years by Court of Appeal judges.
Zara Aleena: Sexual predator Jordan McSweeney who murdered law graduate wins appeal for shorter sentence
McSweeney, who refused to attend his sentencing hearing, had his minimum term of life sentence cut from 38 to 33 years by Court of Appeal judges.news.sky.com
I'm disgusted they cut his sentence.
And this??