Zara Aleena: Aunt troubled after killer 'has sex with female prison worker'

Zara Aleena planned to become a solicitor

The aunt of murdered law graduate Zara Aleena says she is "deeply troubled" after her killer was allegedly caught having sex with a prison worker.

Farah Naz says there are "unanswered questions" for bosses of Belmarsh prison, the UK's most secure jail.

Jordan McSweeney is serving at least 33 years for murdering the 35-year-old.

The Prison Service, which runs Belmarsh, said it was aware of the alleged incident but would not comment further due to ongoing investigations.

The Metropolitan Police said a 32-year-old woman was arrested in April and is being investigated over alleged misconduct in public office.

It is understood she was employed to work at Belmarsh, in south-east London, but was not a prison officer.

Ms Naz says she was made aware of McSweeney's relationship with the unnamed female worker last spring - and that it had started just months into his prison sentence.

"While the justice system advocates for life [sentence] for life, this incident clearly contradicts that principle," she told the BBC.

"The perpetrator managed to establish intimacy with a woman merely four months into his sentence, leaving us with numerous unanswered questions.

"Why was a self-confessed sexually motivated murderer, whose crime was nationally recognized for its brutality, allowed proximity to a female worker lacking training and capacity for such situations?"

Zara Aleena's aunt, Farah Naz, said the family saw McSweeney as 'someone who stamped his pain on to Zara'

Ms Aleena was murdered in June 2022 as she walked home after having drinks with a friend in Ilford, east London.

McSweeney, from Dagenham, was captured on CCTV stalking the streets of Ilford approaching women before he pounced on and fatally beat Ms Aleena for nine minutes.

The 30-year-old had been released from prison just nine days before the attack. He was in the process of being recalled after his licence was revoked for failing to meet probation officers.

Jordan McSweeney had only recently been released from prison when he murdered the law graduate

He had 28 convictions for 69 crimes, dating back to 2006, ranging from burglary to assaulting the police and including racially motivated offences.

McSweeney refused to attend his sentencing at the Old Bailey when he was jailed for a minimum of 38 years.

In November, three Court of Appeal judges reduced McSweeney's sentence to at least 33 years - much to the "extreme disappointment" of Ms Aleena's family.

Ms Naz said the story about the alleged relationship was first reported in the Sun in early April and that she asked Justice Secretary Alex Chalk about it during a meeting in June.

Mr Chalk had been appointed to his role in the middle of April, a few weeks after the alleged incident is said to have taken place.

In the last week, the story has made headlines in other newspapers and the Met Police confirmed it had been made aware of an allegation of "inappropriate conduct" involving a serving member of staff at Belmarsh.

The arrested woman was initially bailed until July 2023 but has since been released under investigation, the Met said.

"Enquiries are ongoing," the Met spokeswoman said.

Belmarsh is one of only three high-security core prisons in England and Wales.

Prison staff found guilty of inappropriate relationships with prisoners can be sent to prison themselves for misconduct in public office.

"It would be inappropriate to comment on a live police investigation," a Prison Service spokeswoman said.