A prison teacher accused of having a ‘month-long fling’ with Zara Aleena’s murderer has appeared in court alongside the killer today.
Hayley Jones, 33, is accused of acting in a way ‘which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust’ during a relationship with Jordan McSweeney, 31, who is serving a minimum term of 33 years for the murder of Ms Aleena.
McSweeney, who killed the 35-year-old law graduate as she walked home from a night out in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of June 26 2022, nine days after he was released from prison, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court via video-link today.
Jones, of Strood, Kent, appeared at court in person wearing a grey cardigan and a black t-shirt with her blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She is accused of misconduct in a public office between March 6, 2023 and April 7, 2023.
McSweeney has also been charged with encouraging or assisting an offender between the same dates. They are alleged to have had the month-long relationship while Jones was working as a prison workshop instructor at HMP Belmarsh in London, where McSweeney was locked up.
Hayley Jones (pictured), 33, is accused of acting in a way ‘which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust’ during a relationship with Jordan McSweeney
Jordan McSweeney, 31, is serving at least 33 years in HMP Belmarsh for the murder of Ms Aleena
McSweeney was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting sexually assaulting and murdering Ms Aleena (pictured). In November 2023, he won a Court of Appeal bid to reduce the minimum term of his life sentence to 33 years
McSweeney has since been moved to HMP Long Lartin, another Category A prison in Worcestershire.
This morning District Judge Andrew Sweet deemed the case too serious to be dealt with at a magistrates court. The case was adjourned until September 25 2024 where Jones will appear at Woolwich Crown Court.
Sat in the dock, emotionless Jones spoke only to confirm her name and address.Â
McSweeney, who wore a grey sweatshirt, placed his chin on his hand with his other arm folded as he spoke quickly to confirm his date of birth.
Jones is accused of ‘wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification’ misconducting herself in ‘a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust … by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with Jordan McSweeny’.
McSweeney is accused of participating in an ‘act or acts which were capable of encouraging or assisting’ Jones’ offence by ‘engaging in an inappropriate relationship’ with the defendant while she worked as a prison workshop instructor at HMP Belmarsh.
Jones is accused of misconduct in a public office between March 6 2023 and April 7 2023Â
Jones was granted conditional bail and must not contact McSweeney or visit the prison where he is being held.
Judge Sweet said: ‘Your case has got go to the Crown Court and your date for next hearing at Woolwich will be 25 September.
‘You now have conditional bail, not to contact directly or indirectly Jordan McSweeney and you must not go to any prison in which he’s incarcerated.’
The case comes after a jury inquest ruled in June that failures ‘across multiple agencies’ contributed to Zara’s death.
Prolific criminal McSweeney, who had 28 convictions for 69 crimes prior to Ms Aleena’s murdeer, had been released from prison on licence just nine days before the killing, but had breached his conditions and was recalled to prison on 22 June.
The police were given powers to arrest him two days later, but delays in the necessary paperwork meant the police were unable to arrest him before he killed the law graduate.
Prolific criminal McSweeney, who had 28 convictions for 69 crimes prior to Ms Aleena’s murdeer, had been released from prison on licence just nine days before the killing
A jury inquest ruled in June that failures ‘across multiple agencies’ contributed to Zara’s death
Undated CCTV image issued by the Metropolitan Police of sexual predator Jordan McSweeney just before he attacked Zara Aleena
McSweeney ambushed Ms Aleena and punched her in the back of the head before dragging her into a driveway and kicking her as she lay on the ground as she went home after a night out in June 2022.
As the innocent woman lay dying, the brute sexually assaulted her before grabbing her handbag, mobile phone and keys. He then walked away but returned moments later to deliver the fatal final blows.
Ms Aleena died in hospital from a blunt force head injury and neck compression, a court heard.
McSweeney was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting sexually assaulting and murdering Ms Aleena.
In November 2023, he won a Court of Appeal bid to reduce the minimum term of his life sentence to 33 years.
