Charges dropped against Zara Aleena killer over ‘prison relationship’

Charges person been dropped against Zara Aleena’s murderer aft a situation store teacher pleaded blameworthy to having an inappropriate narration with him.

Hayley Jones, 33, had admitted to misconduct successful a nationalist bureau implicit an inappropriate narration with Jordan McSweeney, 31, betwixt March 6 2023 and April 7 2023 astatine HMP Belmarsh.

McSweeney was charged with encouraging oregon assisting the committee of an indictable offence.

But during a abbreviated proceeding astatine Woolwich Crown Court connected Tuesday, a authoritative said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had decided to driblet the complaint against McSweeney “in airy of” Jones’s blameworthy plea.

“Some of the grounds was that helium was getting peculiar favours oregon treatment,” Judge David Miller said of the killer’s case.

“He whitethorn person been bragging to different captive astir the powerfulness that helium had implicit this person.”

Prosecutor Polly Dyer told the tribunal a “full review” of the lawsuit against McSweeney had been undertaken “at the highest level of the CPS”.

“The Crown’s presumption is to connection nary evidence,” she said.

Ms Dyer declined to connection immoderate much details astir the determination erstwhile invited to bash truthful by the justice but a CPS spokesperson said aft the proceeding determination was “insufficient evidence” to beryllium McSweeney’s guilt.

Neither Jones oregon McSweeney were required to be the hearing.

“He’s ne'er graced america with his presence,” Judge Miller said of McSweeney.

“I’m definite those representing him volition walk connected the bully news,” helium added.

McSweeney killed 35-year-old Ms Aleena arsenic she walked location from a nighttime retired successful Ilford, eastbound London, successful the aboriginal hours of June 26 2022.

He was handed a beingness condemnation with a minimum word of 38 years astatine the Old Bailey successful December 2022 aft admitting to sexually assaulting and murdering her.

In November 2023, helium won a Court of Appeal bid to trim the minimum word of his beingness condemnation to 33 years.

Jones, of Strood successful Kent, volition beryllium sentenced connected February 4 aft she has been psychologically assessed.

A CPS spokesperson said: “Jordan McSweeney is facing a beingness down bars for the brutal sidesplitting of Zara Aleena, an offence helium was convicted of pursuing a palmy prosecution by the CPS.

“In July, we brought caller charges against McSweeney and Hayley Jones, a situation worker, relating to an inappropriate narration astatine HMP Belmarsh.

“While Jones has pleaded blameworthy to committing misconduct successful nationalist office, determination is insufficient grounds to beryllium that McSweeney was blameworthy of a further transgression offence.

“He remains down bars.”