Man 'sexually obsessed' with stepdaughter jailed for her murder

A man who had a secret sexual obsession with his stepdaughter before going on to murder her has been jailed for at least 35 years.

Warning: This article contains distressing details

Nathan Owens, 34, killed Carla Georgescu at her student flat in Preston, Lancashire, in February and then staged the scene to make it look like she had taken her own life.

Ms Georgescu was found dead the day before her 20th birthday.

Owens, who had travelled from Hartlepool in County Durham the night before to kill her, chose not to give evidence at his trial at Preston Crown Court.

He was found guilty on Thursday and was sentenced on Friday.

Sentencing Owens to a life term, Mr Justice Jacobs branded him "despicable" and said the killer had subjected his victim to a "horrific, brutal attack".

"The last 90 minutes of Carla's life are too horrendous to think about," the judge said.

"I am sure that she suffered both mentally and physically during a material part of that 90 minutes."

Ms Georgescu, described as "intelligent, gentle and articulate", was an undergraduate student in Preston, studying clinical psychology with future plans to take postgraduate studies in Romania.

The weekend before she was killed, her mother went to the city 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 her childhood photographs to make them indecent images, photographed her without her knowledge in their house, and had also filmed himself carrying out sexual acts, on occasion in her bedroom, and with an effigy.

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In the early hours of 4 February, Owens left his partner to travel again to Preston.

He messaged Ms Georgescu, pretending that he and her mother were coming to pick up a purse left behind.

CCTV of Ms Georgescu letting him into her halls of residence was the last time she was seen alive.

Owens subjected Ms Georgescu to a violent and sexual assault and killed her.

He then staged the scene to make it look like she had taken her own life and returned home as though nothing had happened, disposing of evidence on his route.

Detectives from Lancashire Police arrested him soon afterwards but he denied any involvement in Ms Georgescu's death.

Detective Inspector Pete Macdonald 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."

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