Sister Recounts Victim's Dreams of Family and Achievement Amid Murder Trial

A woman who was allegedly raped and murdered by her boyfriend had aspirations of achieving personal goals and building a family, her sister told a court.

Stephen Sexton, 39, is on trial, accused of strangling Joanna Derkacz, 37, to death after a year of alleged controlling and coercive behavior. Ms. Derkacz, a recruitment consultant, was found dead in their Hampshire home on December 28, 2023.

During the trial, Ms. Derkacz's sister, Arleta, testified that her sister "wanted to achieve something in her life, to buy a house, and have a family." She described her sister as being "very excited" after meeting Sexton on the dating app Tinder. Arleta also shared that she had initially developed a strong relationship with Sexton, even treating him "as family" and believing him to be "a good bloke." She stated that Sexton had assisted her partner with home renovation work and had even built a table for her beauty room.

However, Arleta recounted an incident approximately one year before Ms. Derkacz's death that led to a falling out between her and Sexton. She told jurors she had "started having these feelings on him" and "hated him," regretting her earlier positive regard for him. Arleta accused Sexton of fabricating "lies" and calling her a "fing b*" after she confronted him about her changing feelings.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Arleta discovered her sister's body on her bed after repeated calls to Ms. Derkacz went unanswered. Arleta's partner called emergency services on December 28, 2023, after the discovery.

Arleta testified that when she arrived at the home she shared with her sister, Sexton appeared "petrified" with "dead eyes." She described pushing past him to find Ms. Derkacz's body on the bed, alleging she had been choked by Sexton. As Arleta fled the house shouting "you killed my sister," she recalled Sexton, who was holding a knife, muttering "I'm sorry."

Prosecutors allege that moments after Ms. Derkacz's death, Sexton contacted sex workers, describing him as becoming "aroused." Sexton denies charges of murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behavior. The trial is ongoing.