Man Said 'I'm Sorry' After Allegedly Raping, Murdering Girlfriend, Court Hears

A marine engineer, Stephen Sexton, 39, muttered "I'm sorry" to his girlfriend's sister after she discovered her sibling's lifeless body, a court has been told. Jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard that Arleta Derkacz found her sister, Joanna Derkacz, 37, dead in the home she shared with Sexton.

Arleta Derkacz testified that when she arrived at the Waterlooville, Hampshire home on December 28, 2023, Sexton appeared "petrified" and had "dead eyes." She told police in a recorded interview that she pushed past Sexton to find her sister's body on the bed. Arleta Derkacz claimed her sister had allegedly been strangled by Sexton, her partner of three years.

As Arleta Derkacz ran out of the house shouting, "You killed my sister," she stated that Sexton, who was holding a kitchen knife, told her, "I'm sorry." Sexton, a father of one, denies murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behavior.

Prosecutors allege that Sexton subjected Ms. Derkacz to 12 months of "controlling and coercive" behavior. They also contend that moments after her death, Sexton contacted sex workers, claiming he was "aroused."

Arleta Derkacz recounted going to check on her sister when she did not answer her phone, which was uncharacteristic. After receiving no answer at the doorbell, she opened the door and encountered Sexton, whom she described as looking "really scared" and shaking. He initially told her his sister was not there and that she had gone out to see friends, but Arleta Derkacz stated she knew he was lying.

Upon finding her sister, Arleta Derkacz ran downstairs and confronted Sexton, saying, "You killed my sister." She recalled him standing in the kitchen with a knife and pointing it toward his hand as she fled. Arleta Derkacz's partner, who was waiting outside, pulled her away to his car due to concerns Sexton might harm her if she returned to the house.

Jurors also heard the 999 call made by Arleta Derkacz's partner, Lucasz Dylewski, on the night of the discovery. In the background of the call, Arleta Derkacz could be heard screaming and crying. A neighbor on the phone stated, "He's just killed her sister... She said she is dead and has been murdered."

The trial is ongoing.