Zara Aleena’s family are “deeply disappointed” and are calling for an investigation into the incident after a prison employee was accused of having an “inappropriate relationship” with her killer.
Jordan McSweeney is serving a 38-year sentence in Category A maximum security prison for murdering 35-year-old law graduate Zara on her way home from a late-night party in Ilford, east London, in June 2022.
Prison workshop trainer Hayley Jones, 33, from Strood, Kent, is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with 31-year-old McSweeney for a month at HMP Belmarsh.
Zara’s aunt Farah Naz has stated that the family wants an investigation into the alleged relationship. In her opinion, this not only violates justice, but also highlights serious systemic failings.
She told MailOnline she found it “deeply disturbing to learn that the prison system had failed to cope with a Class A inmate who is already four months into his life sentence” and claimed the situation highlighted “serious systemic failings” in the prison system.
Jones was charged with wilful misconduct in a public office. McSweeney was also charged with aiding and abetting a crime between March 6 and April 7, 2023. Both will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning.
Jordan McSweeney is serving 38 years in a Category A maximum security prison for murdering 35-year-old law graduate Zara (pictured) as she walked home from a night out on the town in June 2022.
Hayley Jones, 33, from Strood, Kent, is said to have had a months-long relationship with Zara Aleena’s killer Jordan McSweeney, 31, (pictured) at HMP Belmarsh in south London.
“The investigation into our dear Zara’s death has uncovered systemic failings that allowed her murder to happen. Now we are seeing further evidence of further failings in the justice system,” Ms Naz told MailOnline today.
She claimed the family was “deeply disappointed” that McSweeney and Jones allegedly had a sexual relationship.
“When he was sentenced to life imprisonment, I assured my family that justice had been done. It is deeply disturbing to learn that the prison system had failed to deal with a Class A prisoner who had been in prison just four months into his life sentence,” she said.
“This situation not only contradicts justice, but also draws attention to serious systemic flaws.”
Ms Naz confirmed that charges had been brought against Jones, but argued that “this does not resolve the core question of how such a serious breach could have occurred”.
She said: “We need to investigate how a maximum security prisoner could apparently be left alone with a member of staff. We need to investigate Belmarsh Prison’s management practices, staff vetting and supervision.”
“We need to investigate how and why a sex offender and murderer of women was apparently left alone with a member of staff.”
Jones was reportedly arrested and suspended from duty in June last year after an allegation of inappropriate conduct was reported to police officers.
A prison service spokesman said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
A grand jury in June found that failures by “multiple agencies” contributed to Zara’s death.
McSweeney had been released on parole just nine days before the murder, but violated his parole conditions and was sent back to prison on June 22.
Two days later, the police were given authority to arrest him. However, due to delays in completing the necessary formalities, the police were unable to arrest him before he killed Zara.
Farah Naz, Zara’s aunt (pictured in July 2022), is “deeply disappointed and shocked” by the latest development, saying: “It undermines the very notion of justice.”
A grand jury in June found that failures by “multiple agencies” contributed to Zara’s death.
Undated Metropolitan Police CCTV image of sex offender Jordan McSweeney shortly before he attacked Zara Aleena
McSweeney attacked Zara Aleena, punching her in the back of the head before dragging the 35-year-old into a driveway and kicking her as she lay on the ground walking home after a night of drinking in June 2022.
As the law graduate lay dying, the attacker sexually assaulted her and then snatched her purse, cell phone and keys. He then walked away, but returned moments later to deliver the fatal blows.
Ms Aleena died in hospital from blunt force trauma to the head and neck compression, the jury said.
McSweeney was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting the murder and sexual assault of wife Aleena.
In November 2023, he won an appeals court attempt to reduce the minimum length of his life sentence.
