Student Allegedly Murdered by Stepfather Over Sexual Obsession, Court Hears

A 19-year-old university student was allegedly murdered in her campus flat by her stepfather, who is accused of developing a "dangerous sexual obsession" with her, a court heard. Carla Georgescu's body was discovered on February 5 at Ribble Hall, a student accommodation block at the University of Lancashire.

Prosecutors allege that Nathan Owens, 34, her stepfather, drove from Hartlepool in the early hours of February 4 and attacked Ms. Georgescu in her flat. Her body was found by university staff the following day. According to the prosecution, Ms. Georgescu was strangled, with a leather belt found tightly around her neck, and had injuries to her face.

During the trial at Preston Crown Court, prosecuting KC Nicholas Lumley stated that her death was "the culmination... of weeks, months and perhaps years of a one-side sexual obsession." He added that Owens had become "sexually fixated" with Carla after marrying her mother, Janina, and that the investigation led to Owens' home.

Owens reportedly concocted a story about visiting Ms. Georgescu's flat to retrieve her mother's purse. The jury was told that Owens did not inform his wife of his journey, arriving at the student accommodation around 4 a.m. and leaving approximately 90 minutes later.

In the months leading up to the murder, the prosecution claims Owens amassed material on Ms. Georgescu, including manipulating and sexualizing images of her. He allegedly took photos of her without her knowledge, focusing on her lower body, as part of an "escalating pattern" of "sexual fascination." Evidence presented to the court suggested he filmed himself with dolls and toys, one dressed in Ms. Georgescu's nightdress, and manipulated an innocent image of her to appear sexual. Jurors were told that Owens also made and watched videos of himself using sex toys, deriving sexual satisfaction from images of Ms. Georgescu.

Mr. Lumley suggested that Owens' actions may have been motivated by "sexual jealousy," as he had learned Ms. Georgescu had started a romantic online relationship with a man from Romania and was planning to meet him the following day. The court heard that while Ms. Georgescu had expressed suicidal thoughts to a counselor years ago, she had no intention of harming herself, and friends and medical staff had no concerns for her well-being. Her mother reportedly found her behavior normal in the days prior to her death.

Carla Georgescu, a second-year clinical psychology student, had moved to the UK from Romania with her mother when she was 12, following her mother's separation from her father. Owens denies charges of murder, intentional strangulation, and grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial is ongoing.