Killer Jordan McSweeney spared prosecution over relationship with prison worker

The 31-year-old slayer was locked up for the horrific execution of 35-year-old instrumentality postgraduate Zara Aleena arsenic she walked location from a nighttime retired successful Ilford, eastbound London, successful the aboriginal hours of June 26 2022.

Earlier this year, McSweeney and captive store teacher Hayley Jones were some charged implicit a narration they struck up astatine HMP Belmarsh between March 6, 2023 and April 7, 2023.

Jones, 33, has already admitted misconduct successful a nationalist bureau and faces a imaginable jailhouse word herself erstwhile she is sentenced aboriginal adjacent year.

At Woolwich crown tribunal connected Tuesday authoritative Polly Dyer announced that the complaint against McSweeney – for allegedly encouraging oregon assisting Jones successful the committee of an indictable offence – is being dropped.

“The Crown indicated astatine the past proceeding successful enactment with the continuing work of reappraisal that it would beryllium undertaking a afloat reappraisal of the substance successful narration to Ms McSweeney”, she said.

“In airy of the plea of Ms Jones, and encompassed successful the reappraisal of the grounds sufficiency, it was looked astatine whether it is successful the nationalist involvement to proceed a prosecution.

“A reappraisal having been undertaken astatine the highest level of the CPS, the determination of the Crown is to connection nary grounds against Mr McSweeney successful this matter.”

Asked if she wanted to publically outline much astir the ground of the decision, Ms Dyer replied: “No. The reappraisal was successful airy of the plea of Ms Jones.”

Judge David Miller told the court: “Mr McSweeney hasn’t formally entered a not blameworthy plea, but 1 tin beryllium entered connected his behalf.

“It is wide helium has been contesting the matter, though helium has ne'er successful information graced america with his presence.”

McSweeney dodged an earlier tribunal proceeding aft telling situation guards helium was “having trouble with walking”.

Judge Miller agreed Jones, of Strood successful Kent, could beryllium psychologically assessed earlier she is sentenced connected February 4 adjacent year. He had antecedently agreed for her location code to beryllium restricted from work aft proceeding grounds that “her intelligence wellness was frail”.

Rosalia Myttas-Perris, for Jones, told the tribunal she should beryllium assessed by an adept for levels of quality and “whether she is suggestible and easy manipulated”.

“We accidental she is simply a susceptible young pistillate with a fig of vulnerabilities that the tribunal ought to recognize done the eyes of an adept earlier passing sentence.”

Prosecutors were besides asked by the justice to acceptable retired its lawsuit connected McSweeney’s suggestions, enactment guardant arsenic portion of his defence case, that helium had been “receiving contraband” successful situation and a proposition helium had been “bragging to different captive astir the powerfulness helium had implicit this person”.

McSweeney was sentenced to beingness successful situation with a minimum of 38 years down bars astatine the Old Bailey successful December 2022 for the rape and execution of Ms Aleena.

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

He refused to participate the dock to beryllium condemnation astatine the Old Bailey, sparking outrage from Ms Aleena’s household and demands for a alteration successful the instrumentality to unit criminals to look court.

He had been formally recalled to situation 9 days earlier murdering Ms Aleena, but was not captured successful time.

An inquest into Ms Aleena’s decease earlier this twelvemonth concluded determination had been aggregate failings crossed antithetic agencies which contributed to McSweeney being escaped and capable to kill.