Man who was ‘sexually obsessed’ with his stepdaughter found guilty of her murder

A man has been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter, whom he had a “perverted sexual obsession” with.

Carla Georgescu was found dead in her student flat in Preston on her 20th birthday, after Nathan Owens, 34, had travelled from Hartlepool the night before to kill her, Preston Crown Court heard.

Ms Georgescu, 19, was in her second year of university, studying clinical psychology at the University of Lancashire.

She was described as “intelligent, gentle and articulate” and planned to undertake postgraduate studies in Romania.

The weekend before she was killed, Ms Georgescu’s mother came to Preston to stay with her, enjoying shopping and dinner together, with Owens joining later.

Unknown to Ms Georgescu or her mother, Owens had harboured a sexual obsession with her.

He doctored childhood photographs of Ms Georgescu, superimposing her face onto pornographic images, and photographed her without her knowledge in their house.

Owens also sickeningly filmed himself carrying out sexual acts, on occasion in Ms Georgescu’s bedroom, and with an effigy wearing her clothes.

On February 4, he left his partner to head to Preston, messaging Ms Georgescu under the pretence that he and her mother were going to pick up a purse that had been left behind.

Around 4am, CCTV footage showed Ms Georgescu letting Owens into the halls.

He then subjected her to a “violent and sexual assault” before killing her, then staged the scene to make it appear as if she had taken her own life.

Owens took a different route out of the halls and obscured his face with a facemask, taking evidence to dispose of on his way home.

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He returned home as though nothing happened, police said, adding that Ms Georgescu’s red pyjama bottoms and grey trainers have still not been found.

Detectives from Lancashire Police arrested him soon afterwards, but he denied any involvement in Carla’s death.

He chose not to give evidence at his trial and has not explained his actions.

Owens was convicted by a jury of murder following a two-week trial. He will be sentenced on Friday.

Detective Inspector Pete Macdonald, of Lancashire Police, said: “Carla was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, a life that was taken away by someone she should have been able to trust.

“Owens had a despicable, perverted sexual obsession with his stepdaughter, an obsession that ended with him killing her. He has now been brought to justice for his crimes.

“I thank the jury for returning a guilty verdict, as well as the prosecution counsel, Nicholas Lumley KC, Adam Birkby, barrister, my investigation team and the Crown Prosecution Service for all of their efforts to obtain justice for Carla.

“No verdict brings Carla back, but I hope that her mum and the rest of her loved ones can feel some sense of justice that the man responsible for taking her future away has been brought to justice.”