Five weeks before she was murdered, 35-year-old Zara Aleena started work at the Royal Courts of Justice.

ON HER FIRST DAY, SHE SENT A BRIGHTLY SMILING SELFIE to her friends and family, saying she couldn't believe she was actually there. It was an administrative role that took her one step closer t her lifelong dream of being a lawyer; something she had pursued doggedly even as her studies were interrupted by caring responsibilities and financial concerns.

- SAMIRA SHACKLE 

After passing the solicitors' exams with distinction and landing this new job, Aleena felt a new stage of her life was beginning. Her aunt Farah Naz told her: "Soon, Zara, you are going to be a formidable force." 

On the evening of 26 June 2022, Aleena met a friend at a local pub, the Great Spoon of Ilford. They had dinner and a drink there before moving on to a bar, where Aleena drank water. Around 2am, they left. The friend got in a cab, but Aleena walked; she was close to home and it was a warm evening. When her other aunt, Smaira Naz, imagines her walking that night, she thinks of how Aleena always had a spring in her step. "She had this bounce when she walked - it was lovely, so much energy," she says. "Walking made her feel free."