The man convicted of the “brutal sexually motivated murder” of the law graduate Zara Aleena has had his minimum term in prison cut after a successful appeal attempt. Jordan McSweeney, 30, pleaded guilty last year to the murder and sexual assault of Aleena in Ilford, east London, in the early hours as she was walking home. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 38 years by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey in December. In a ruling on Friday, three judges at the court of appeal in London allowed McSweeney’s appeal, finding that the sentencing judge had imposed too high an “uplift” to the minimum term, replacing it with a life sentence with a minimum term of 33 years. The lady chief justice, Dame Sue Carr, sitting with Mrs Justice McGowan and Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, said McSweeney’s crimes were “abhorrent”. She continued: “The judge’s findings in relation to planning and premeditation could not be faulted. “She had correctly identified the seriousness of the murder as ‘particularly high’ – because it had involved sexual conduct – and the statutory starting point for the minimum term as being 30 years. That starting point reflected the mental or physical suffering inherent in a murder involving sexual conduct … It was already a very severe penalty. “However, 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. “Mercifully, Ms Aleena was unconscious from early on in the attack. The number of items taken from Ms Aleena and then discarded meant also that it was not safe to conclude that Ms Aleena’s mobile telephone had been taken in order to prevent her from seeking help. “Further, the suggestion that McSweeney had committed his offences in the expectation that he was likely imminently to be returned to custody for breach of licence conditions relating to earlier offending may have been overstated.” McSweeney’s barrister, George Carter-Stephenson KC, said: “At the outset can I make it clear that it is accepted that the attack and murder in this case was particularly savage and brutal, and nothing I intend to say in this address is in any way meant to detract from that.” The barrister said Cheema-Grubb had wrongly factored in the “aggravating features” in the case. Carter-Stephenson said it was accepted there was a sexual motive to the crime, but argued the murder itself was not premeditated. He added: “The attack was an opportunistic act rather than anything that was planned in advance, though there was clearly a sexual encounter in mind. He planned to look for a sexual encounter, with or without consent.” However, Oliver Glasgow KC, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the suggestion McSweeney had not intended to kill Aleena was “unsustainable”. He told the court McSweeney had spent two hours stalking several women before turning his attention to Aleena. The Old Bailey previously heard McSweeney stalked Aleena along Cranbrook Road before grabbing her from behind and dragging her into a driveway. The attack, caught on grainy CCTV, lasted nine minutes and resulted in 46 separate injuries. Aleena, who was training to be a solicitor, was found struggling to breathe and later died in hospital. Aleena’s family said in a statement issued by her aunt Farah Naz: “Today’s decision, a decision to reduce the minimum sentence for that repugnant man, aligns with an established legal sentencing framework, a framework we comprehend. “Yet the message it conveys to women is disheartening, suggesting that a ‘life sentence’ may not truly mean a lifetime behind bars. It is, in all honesty, a shallow triumph for him. “Despite his sentencing to a minimum of 33 years, his time in incarceration has been marred by abhorrent conduct, marked by a lack of remorse and a callous attitude toward others. “The prospect of his release after 33 years remains slim, but, naturally, we hope he remains imprisoned for life.” They continued: “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.”