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8 LondraGazete.com/English Londra Gazete, 24 November 2022

Man pleads guilty to the Just Stop Oil activists found guilty of

murder of Zara Aleena criminal damage of Van Gogh painting

THE man charged with killing of the investigation shows that TWO Just Stop Oil protesters
Zara Aleena during a brutal at- as she walked along Cranbrook have been found guilty of causing
tack in Ilford in the early hours of Road, she was being followed by criminal damage to a Vincent Van
26 June has pleaded guilty to her Jordan McSweeney, a man not Gogh painting’s frame after glu-
murder. known to her who had been re- ing themselves to it.
Jordan McSweeney, 29 ap- cently released from prison and Louis McKechnie, 22, and Emily
peared for a plea and trial prepa- was working and staying at a fun- Brocklebank, 23, caused about
ration hearing at the Old Bailey fair in nearby Valentines Park. £2,000 of damage to the frame of
on Friday, 18 November. In ad- The footage shows McSweeney Peach Trees In Blossom at Lon-
dition to the charge of murder, approaching Zara from behind don’s Courtauld Gallery.
he also pleaded guilty to sexual before dragging her into the front McKechnie was jailed for three
assault. He will be sentenced at garden of a property in Cranbro- weeks while Brocklebank received
the same court on Wednesday, 14 ok Road and attacking her. a suspended sentence at West-
December. Zara was a 35-year-old A post-mortem examination minster Magistrates’ Court on
law graduate who had recently be- supported suggestions from Tuesday.
gun working at the Royal Courts those neighbours of what ap- She had said: “I didn’t think I
of Justice. She was described by peared to be a sexual assault, as would cause much damage. Glue trivial”. The prosecutor said: “These ac-
her family as “a joy - a beloved hu- well as further physical violence comes off.” Addressing the defendants, tions did in fact cause criminal
man, child, niece, cousin, grand- which left Zara with a significant There have been several similar District Judge Minhas said: “I damage”.
daughter and friend to all.” head injury. protests by climate activists in re- find you both guilty of criminal He said the painting, which is
Following a fun evening out Passers-by came to her aid with cent weeks. damage, having no lawful excuse worth “millions” was not dama-

with at around 2 am on 26 June one woman giving CPR until the District Judge Neeta Minhas to cause damage but you did so ged but the “valuable” frame was.
Zara her friend left in a taxi and arrival of the ambulance. Sadly, said the damage caused at the on a reckless basis.” Mr Bryan added: “The defen-
set off to make her journey home despite their efforts and those of gallery was “substantial”. Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, dants say they were expressing
on foot. medical staff, Zara died in hospi- Giving her verdict, she said: had told the court the activists their rights, under the European
CCTV footage obtained as part tal later that morning. “An 18th Century frame which is used super glue to attach them- convention… to freedom of exp-
hundreds of years old has been selves to Van Gogh’s 1889 work ression… and of assembly.
permanently damaged. Peach Trees In Blossom at the “They say the exercise of those
“It is not in a state where it can Courtauld Gallery, on the Strand, rights gives them a lawful excuse.
return to its original state.” on June 30. But these are qualified rights, not
She told the court that the pa- But Francesca Cociani, defen- absolute rights.”
inting had “significant, historical ding the pair at Westminster Ma- Ms Serres told the court it took
and art value” and the damage gistrates’ Court on Tuesday, ques- three hours for the activists to be
caused to its frame was “not mi- tioned Karen Serres, a curator at removed, with the incident las-
nor, insignificant, temporary or the gallery. ting until after closing time.

Gang of three who posed as police

Teenager convicted of jailed for 35 years

murder of man in Edgware their victim during a violent bur-
A gang of three men who tied up
glary have been jailed for a total of
A teenager who killed a man after apon and chased after Mohamoud, 35 years.
he questioned why he was ‘on his tackling him to the ground befo- Michael Cloherty, 58 was sen-
strip’ has been found guilty of mur- re stabbing him three times in the tenced to 13 years in prison, Si-
der. Christian Kuta-Dankwa,19 was back and running away.Emergency mon Ludlow was sentenced to 12
convicted of the murder of Moha- services, including an off-duty po- years in prison and Michael Cook
moud Mohamed Mahdi following a lice officer and doctor, immediately
trial at the Old Bailey which conclu- began first aid but despite their ef- was sentenced to 10 years in pris-
ded on Thursday, 17 November. forts Mohamoud died at the scene. on
Mohamoud, aged 28, was stabbed The following day, Kuta-Dankwa They were all found guilty of
by Kuta-Dankwa with a knife which handed himself into police where he aggravated burglary following a They had claimed to be at the an extensive investigation was
Mohamoud brought to the scene. admitted stabbing Mohamoud but seven day trial at Kingston Crown address in order to conduct a launched in order to identify the
CCTV shows that shortly af- said he had acted in self-defence. Court on Wednesday, 9 Novem- drug search. When the men were individuals involved. A number
terwards, Mohamoud arrived on ber. The burglary happened on the challenged by the victim, she of enquiries were carried out, in-
the opposite side of the road before morning of Monday, 29 November was grabbed around the throat cluding looking at CCTV footage
walking across and briefly speaking 2021 when the victim, a woman and forced back inside her home. and monitoring vehicles. It was
to the defendant. aged in her 30s, was approached They proceeded to attack her by through this work that officers es-
He then left and ran down nearby by what she thought was two men, stamping and punching her on tablished not two but three men
streets before returning with a knife as she was leaving her flat in Ara- the floor, before tying her hands leaving Ludlow’s address an hour
– a weapon that would later be used bella Drive, Putney with her three with cable-ties. They subsequently before the burglary took place.
to kill him. young children. searched the address, stealing var- Following the investigation the
Following an altercation with the The men were wearing caps ious items including cash, Christ- three were arrested and searches
defendant, Mohamoud was disar- with the word ‘Police’ on the front mas gifts and a two-month old fe- of their home addresses led to the
med and the knife fell into the road, whilst carrying friction-lock ba- male American extra-large bulldog recovery of critical evidence. They
causing him to run away. tons. One of the men also pro- puppy, described as ‘blue Merle’. were later charged with aggravat-
Kuta-Dankwa took hold of the we- duced a fake identification badge. Following the violent attack, ed burglary.