Delays in sending paperwork to recall Zara Aleena’s murderer to prison – inquest

There were delays in sending the paperwork to initiate the recall to prison of Zara Aleena’s murderer days before he killed her, an inquest has been told.

Jordan McSweeney killed the 35-year-old law graduate as she walked home from a night out in Ilford, east London, early on June 26 2022.

McSweeney had been released from prison on licence on June 17 2022 and, after breaching the conditions of his licence, his recall to prison was initiated on June 22 2022, the recall report was signed on June 24 2022 and police were given powers to arrest him at 4.10pm the same day, East London Coroner’s Court heard.

Rajeev Thacker, barrister for Ms Aleena’s family, put to Kim Thornden-Edwards, chief probation officer for England and Wales, that there were delays in sending the paperwork to initiate the recall of McSweeney.

Ms Thornden-Edwards replied: “Yes, that’s correct.”

Mr Thacker said: “You accepted yesterday that the failures that had been identified by HMIP in the management of McSweeney, subject to one slight caveat, in very broad terms do you accept in that last period that essentially there were delays in allocating Mr McSweeney’s case to a probation officer?”

Ms Thorden-Edwards said: “Yes, I do accept that.”

The risk of serious recidivism (RSR) score after McSweeney was arrested for Ms Aleena’s murder was medium, Mr Thacker said.

He asked Ms Thorden-Edwards if it struck her as odd that after someone has been arrested for murder they were rated as medium risk.

She responded: “Yes it does, yes it does.”

Annie Rudge, probation service officer, told the court that prior to McSweeney’s release from prison in 2020, she did not have any direct contact with him.

She said: “The partnerships would have spoken about his case before he was released, but I don’t remember having any direct contact with Mr McSweeney prior to his release.”

McSweeney was on licence when he was recalled to prison after being charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and robbery in February 2021, and Ms Rudge was asked why he was not rated as high risk to the public after the new charges.

Ms Rudge said: “At the time he hadn’t been convicted of the matters, he’d been arrested and charged.”

She added that she was advised by a colleague if McSweeney was convicted he would be changed to high risk.

Ms Aleena’s aunt, Farah Naz, told the jury on Monday that the family is “tortured by thoughts that (Zara’s) death was preventable and that our state system that we entrusted failed our Zara, failed us”.

She added that her niece’s murder highlighted “the crumbling justice system that is meant to protect all of us, especially women and girls”.

McSweeney was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 38 years at the Old Bailey in December 2022 after admitting Ms Aleena’s murder and sexual assault.

In November 2023, he won a Court of Appeal bid to reduce the minimum term of his life sentence.

The inquest continues.