Man Accused of Raping and Murdering Girlfriend After She Ended Relationship

A "narcissistic" engineer raped and murdered his girlfriend when she decided to end their relationship, Winchester Crown Court was told. Stephen Sexton, 39, is on trial charged with the rape, coercive control, and murder of Joanna Derkacz, 37, at their home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, on December 28, 2023.

Ms. Derkacz's sister discovered her body in her bed and alerted authorities, according to prosecutor Nicola Shannon KC. The court heard that the defendant had become increasingly controlling towards Ms. Derkacz for over a year leading up to her death. "We say he had become increasingly controlling, leading on to the ultimate acts of intimate and physical control – rape and then murder when Stephen Sexton realised that she had determined to get him out of her life," Shannon stated.

Shannon described Sexton as "violent and threatening" towards Ms. Derkacz. On one occasion, she reported that he strangled her before she managed to push him away. The relationship reportedly took a significant turn on December 10 when Sexton allegedly broke Ms. Derkacz's laptop in a fit of anger after she returned home 20 minutes late from an evening out with friends.

After Ms. Derkacz left the house to stay with a friend, Sexton reported her missing to the police. "He was no doubt hoping that they would find her for him," Shannon told the court.

When Ms. Derkacz returned, she asked Sexton to move out but agreed to let him stay until recently born puppies from their dogs had been sold. On December 11, police visited Ms. Derkacz for a welfare check, during which she described Sexton as "very controlling" and "narcissistic," adding that "he didn't like it when I go out." She also told officers that Sexton had "threatened to take the puppies from me." When officers suggested this was not a reason to stay, she responded, "Well it is for me."

Shannon remarked, "It is one of the tragedies of this case, that although Joanna was wary and there were in retrospect so many red flags, neither she nor the officers seem to have realised how far Stephen Sexton might go when he realised she was slipping from his grasp. Her optimism and compassion may have cost her her life."

A post-mortem examination revealed that Ms. Derkacz died from compression of the neck. Intimate swabs found semen with DNA matching the defendant, which the prosecution claims dates to around the time of Ms. Derkacz's death and indicates rape, as the sexual activity would not have been consensual at that point.

Sexton, of Totton, Southampton, denies all charges. The trial is ongoing.