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The 29-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum of 38 years for the brutal murder in June 2022.<\/p>\n
He launched a bid to reduce the terms of his minimum sentence, which was today granted at the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n
Top judges found the original term was too high an "uplift" and today replaced it with a minimum of 33 years.<\/p>\n
Zara's devastated family branded the killer a "repugnant man" as they slammed the decision.<\/p>\n
Read more on the killer<\/h2>\n
They added: "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.<\/p>\n "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.<\/p>\n "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. <\/p>\n "The prospect of his release after 33 years remains slim, but, naturally, we hope he remains imprisoned for life."<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr, sitting with Mrs Justice McGowan and Mrs Justice Ellenbogen, said there was "ample evidence" to show McSweeney was a "pugnacious and violent man".<\/p>\n She also told how the original sentencing judge was right to come to the starting point of 30 years for the "sexual" murder.<\/p>\n But the judge said there was a lack of "sufficient evidential basis" to find Zara suffered "additional mental or physical suffering" that pushed it up to 38 years.<\/p>\n Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr said this is because she would have been knocked unconscious early into the attack.<\/p>\n Zara's aunt Farah Naz previously told the court how McSweeney's application had caused \u201cprofound distress\u201d to her family.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cIt is beyond belief that this individual, who was\u00a0too spineless to attend his own sentencing, has the audacity to appeal the very sentence he couldn\u2019t be bothered to witness.\u201d<\/p>\n McSweeney had appeared via videlink for the start of proceedings but left before the hearing finished.<\/p>\n The aunt said this behaviour underscored the killer's "enduring disregard for all".<\/p>\n McSweeney was on licence at the time of Zara's murder for criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment and unauthorised possession of a knife in prison.<\/p>\n The predator had 28 previous convictions for 69 offences – including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, driving<\/span> offences, criminal property, assaults on police and assaults on members of the public.<\/p>\n He had been released from prison for robbery just nine days before the savage attack.<\/p>\n His licence had been revoked after failing to meet probation officers but he was not recalled to prison.<\/p>\n This meant the predator was free to roam the streets hunting for a victim.<\/p>\n On the night of Zara's murder, McSweeney was captured on CCTV stalking the streets of East London.<\/p>\n At least four other women managed to escape the killer's clutches as he followed them in the darkness.<\/p>\n One even ran for safety into a home on the same street were Zara was brutally murdered.<\/p>\n After setting his sights on the law<\/span> graduate, McSweeney dragged her into a driveway where he repeatedly kicked and stamped on her.<\/p>\n Zara was discovered partially clothed and struggling to breath by horrified neighbours<\/span> who heard her screams.<\/p>\n The prosecutor said she had been attacked with "savagery that is almost impossible to believe".<\/p>\n A post-mortem gave her cause of death as blunt force trauma injury and neck compression.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/crop-22219591.jpg\")
<\/picture>JAILHOUSE SNOG <\/span><\/p>\nPrison worker arrested after 'snogging killer Jordan McSweeney' in jail<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/newspress-collage-20749648-1671062121341.jpg\")
<\/picture>EVIL LURKING <\/span><\/p>\nChilling CCTV shows killer stalking lone women before he murdered Zara<\/h3>\n
Most read in The Sun<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/tp-composite-kat-and-the-killer-2.jpg\")
<\/picture>KAT GOT THE CRIM <\/span><\/p>\nJessie Wallace seen on boozy night out with road rage killer Kenneth Noye<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/crop-24616693.jpg\")
<\/picture>JUNGLE’S LATEST SIGNING <\/span><\/p>\nSinger turned TV host is latest name to sign for I\u2019m A Celebrity<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/newspress-collage-24614041-1698950254324.jpg\")
<\/picture>OFF THE SHELF <\/span><\/p>\nHeinz discontinues one of Brits’ favourite sauces leaving shoppers fuming<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/crop-24586208.jpg\")
<\/picture>WEBB WOEs <\/span><\/p>\nEmmerdale split fears over Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden’s ‘separate lives’<\/h3>\n
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