Zara Aleena’s murderer refuses to attend court over ‘illicit fling with prison worker’ because he ‘can’t be bothered’
ZARA Aleena's killer refused to attend court today over an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with a prison worker as he "can’t be bothered".
Hayley Jones is accused of having a month-long fling with Jordan McSweeney, 31, after growing close to him at HMP Belmarsh.
The 33-year-old was due to appear alongside him at Woolwich Crown Court today charged with misconduct in a public office.
But McSweeney - serving a life sentence for murdering Zara - refused to attend.
A member of staff at HMP Long Lartin told Judge David Miller: "I dispatched an officer at 1.30pm to collect him from his prison cell.
"At 1.40pm I got a message saying he had refused to attend because he can't be bothered".
Judge Miller asked the member of staff "Is that a quote?", to which they responded "Yes".
The judge then told the court: "If he continues to refuse to engage with proceedings then proceedings will go ahead in his absence.
"He must be reminded about the consequences of not being bothered to engage next time."
McSweeney, who is charged with encouraging or assisting the commission of an indictable offence, also refused to sign failure to attend documents, it was said.
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The case has been adjourned until October 31.
McSweeney and Jones were allegedly in a relationship between March 6, 2023, and April 7, 2023.
Jones, from Strood in Kent, was arrested in April last year after police received an allegation of inappropriate conduct.
She was also suspended from her role as a workshop instructor at Britain's most secure jail after the claim came to light.
McSweeney had been released from a prison sentence just nine days before he pounced on Zara, 35, as she walked home.
His licence had been revoked after failing to meet probation officers but he was not recalled to prison.
This meant the predator was free to roam the streets hunting for a victim.
On the night of Zara's murder, McSweeney was captured on CCTV stalking the streets of East London.
At least four other women managed to escape the killer's clutches as he followed them in the darkness.
One even ran for safety into a home on the same street were Zara was brutally murdered.
After setting his sights on Zara, a law graduate, McSweeney dragged her into a driveway where he repeatedly kicked and stamped on her.
Zara was discovered partially clothed and struggling to breathe by horrified neighbours who heard her screams.
The aspiring lawyer had just started working at the Royal Courts of Justice when she was killed in June 2022.
A post-mortem gave her cause of death as blunt force trauma injury and neck compression.
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McSweeney was jailed for life with a minimum of 38 years in December of that year after admitting murder and sexual assault.
This was later reduced to 33 years following a successful appeal at the Court of Appeal.
