How abusive Jordan Worth still had ‘control’ over Alex Skeel even after arrest

Abusive Jordan Worth still had "control" over battered boyfriend Alex Skeel AFTER she was arrested, a body language expert has revealed.

Judi James says Alex, 22, was unsure of how to act and showed signs of distress and confusion after being separated from his "controller" while talking to police.

Ms James claimed his actions were "frighteningly similar to an animal fear response".

Worth assaulted Alex with a knife and a hammer and poured boiling water over him during a three-year reign of terror which left him "10 days from death".

She was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Luton Crown Court last year after admitting grievous bodily harm and coercive controlling behaviour.

But even after Alex was saved from her sickening abuse, his body language indicates Jordan still had huge control over him.

The shocking case featured in the BBC Three documentary Abused By My Girlfriend.

Here’s what Judy said about Alex’s body language:

Controlling behaviours and domestic abuse tend to imply the one doing the controlling will be powerful, strong and aggressive-looking, but that is not always the case and it can be that an abuser will – to outsiders – present as vulnerable-looking themselves, leading to incongruence that can affect and confuse the victim.

Alex’s body language when he finally gets to the safety of the police station is frighteningly similar to an animal fear response though. His distress is obvious and so is his apparent state of confusion.

He still attempts to normalise his situation by placing an elbow on the arm of the chair in what looks like a bid to appear casual but soon he’s sitting with a cushion on his lap, which could be for security and comfort as much as to rest his wounded arm, and the palm-out gesture when he replied he was ok to do the interview is replaced by a rubbing of his hand through his hair and over his head, plus some very slow blinking to signal bewilderment.

He says he got into the habit of doing what he was told by Jordan and these signs of distress and confusion could be caused by being parted from his controller and asked to tell the truth about his circumstances. He looks cowed, with his head down and his lips sucked in.

Alex makes a very sad attempt to act normal and even mask his vulnerability via the arm-splay at the police station.

The police camera when they went to the house shows a very sunken, subdued-looking Alex only part-opening the door. His eyes are down, his chin drooped so his mouth seems to hang open and his shoulders are slumped. When asked if he is ok as he has said he replies he is 100% sure but he is staring ahead using no eye contact at all at this point.

Jordan is cradling the baby, rocking from side to side on her feet. As Alex stands slumped against the wall she asks him if he’ll come back from A&E. Their goodbye embrace is painfully incongruent and counter-intuitive. It’s Alex standing doing ‘small and vulnerable’ with the baby in her arms as Jordan tries to act out some sort of fake normality by placing one protective-looking arm around her and kissing her on the side of her head.

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Abusive Worth’s police interviews give a fascinating insight into her evil mind.

This is what Judi, author and body language expert, said about the footage of her interviews:

"Controlling behaviours and domestic abuse tend to imply the one doing the controlling will be powerful, strong and aggressive-looking, but that is not always the case and it can be that an abuser will – to outsiders – present as vulnerable-looking themselves, leading to incongruence that can affect and confuse the victim.

"Jordan is openly trying to present as passive and polite, almost as though she is attempting to take on the role of the victim or at the very least the concerned partner.

"She signals a desire to be as helpful as possible by leaning forward with her arms on the desk in front of her, often with her hands clasped in what is almost a praying gesture."

In the police interviews Jordan asks officers: "Where’s Alex now? I just want to sort everything out, start again."

Recalling a time she stabbed him she says: "I was holding the knife. I just wanted him to come in the house. It was a big one from the kitchen.

"I think it was a bread knife. I’m not actually sure."

Asked how far she thought the knife went into Alex, Jordan said: "I don’t think it went that far but, it did, there was a lot of blood."

When told that Alex had some "pretty sore injuries" and asked how he seemed, Jordan replies: "I think, I think he’s just upset because we’ve got everything we ever wanted, but we’re not happy."

"Her voice is taken to a high, soft pitch that makes her sound childlike and her gestures appear delicate, as though trying to disprove any suggestions of aggression or strength.

"The policeman describes her as ‘slight and polite’ and amazingly this is a look she retains throughout her interview, even when she is sitting miming her attacks on Alex.

"Her entire display is counter-intuitive. She head-tilts to show polite, active listening and she nods when questioned to show a desire to help.

"She self-diminishes to look vulnerable and touches her hair or rubs her eyes using delicate-looking hand gestures.

"Watching her illustrative gestures as she mimes using a knife and other weapons on Alex we see her miming obscurely in terms of size, but making the weapons look small every time, as she speaks about her actions as though they were well within the bounds of normal.

"Jordan’s eye contact looks relatively constant, although when she is asked about keeping Alex from his family she appears to look down in a cut-off gesture.

"When told Alex is saying he’s been attacked she performs a small flinching gesture with her head to suggest disbelief.

"She follows this up with and eye scratch with her index finger, which could have given her the excuse to do a cut-off with her hand, hiding part of her face and one eye before re-applying her reasonable and helpful facial expression and leaning forward again using eye contact."

Alex now has full custody of the their children.

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