Stepfather Accused of 'Sexual Obsession' Murder of Student, Prosecutor Claims

A stepfather accused of murdering his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu, allegedly treated her with 'sexual jealousy' and may have killed her because she refused his advances, a court heard.

During his closing speech at Preston Crown Court, prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC questioned whether Georgescu "paid" with her life for saying "no" to Nathan Owens, 34.

Owens is on trial for murdering Georgescu at her university accommodation. Jurors were told that Owens was motivated by sexual jealousy after learning the second-year clinical psychology student planned to meet a man she had been romantically involved with online. This followed his "escalating fascination" with Georgescu, which included having sex with a life-sized effigy clothed in her nightdress, the trial heard.

On February 4, Owens drove more than 100 miles from the family home in Hartlepool to Georgescu's student flats at the University of Lancashire. CCTV footage showed Georgescu letting Owens into her accommodation at around 4 a.m. He was captured leaving the building approximately 90 minutes later, attempting to conceal his identity with an umbrella and a face mask, while wearing Georgescu's trainers and carrying two bags. He then drove back home, allegedly stopping to dump items, including bedding, which were later found to contain traces of Georgescu's DNA.

Owens's wife, Janina, told jurors that Owens did not mention visiting her daughter when he returned home. She became concerned when Georgescu did not respond to messages and calls. The following day, which would have been Georgescu's 20th birthday, Janina contacted university security, who discovered her body slumped against a wardrobe door with a belt around her neck.

Police initially suspected suicide but became suspicious after Owens allegedly lied about his movements that night. Owens has declined to give evidence in his defense. The trial judge informed the jury that they were entitled to hold his silence against him.

Mr. Lumley stated that Georgescu "had everything to live for" and was enthusiastically buying clothes for her trip to Romania. He suggested that Janina was unaware of the extent of Owens's sexual fascination with her daughter.

The prosecutor asserted that Georgescu had no sexual interest in her stepfather and that he drove to her flat in the early hours of February 4 because it was her "last chance" to see her before she went to Romania. "His motivation was to satisfy his sexual needs, come what may," Lumley told the court.

Addressing Owens, Lumley questioned if he treated Georgescu "like a doll, like one of your effigies" or "a rag doll to be used for your needs." He asked if Owens killed her because she "dared say no, and dared to push you away."

Lumley suggested that after using a belt to make Georgescu's death appear as suicide, Owens cleaned himself up before leaving, disposing of the stained bedding on his return journey. He questioned the plausibility of self-inflicted injuries, noting the absence of a suicide note and Georgescu's extensive writing as an emotional outlet.

Lumley also questioned why Owens did not tell his wife he had visited Georgescu if he had nothing to hide. He criticized Owens's decision not to testify, stating that an innocent person would likely want to contradict the case against them.

Defending Owens, John Elvidge KC asked the jury to consider alternative explanations, noting the lack of struggle signs in Georgescu's room and medical experts' inability to rule out self-inflicted injuries. He also pointed out the absence of witnesses who heard a disturbance.

Elvidge described the prosecution's narrative as "compelling" but questioned the "extraordinary coincidence" of Georgescu being found hanged when she was reportedly fixated on suicide. He mentioned her mental health struggles following her father's death and past talk of self-harm.

Before his arrest, Owens claimed he went to Preston to bring Georgescu incontinence pants and help her tidy her room. However, the prosecution contends this was an attempt to cover his tracks. The prosecution alleges Owens had become "sexually fixated" with Georgescu and that he took photos of her without her knowledge, filmed himself having sex with dolls and toys, and manipulated an image of her to appear sexual.

Owens denies charges of murder and grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial is ongoing.