CCTV footage reveals capture of 'sexually obsessed' man who killed his own stepdaughter

A man who was said to be “sexually obsessed” with his 19-year-old stepdaughter is set to be sentenced today.

Nathan Owens, 34 from Hartlepool, was found guilty at Preston Crown Court yesterday after sexually assaulting and murdering his stepdaughter Carla Georgescu in her home.

The 19-year-old had been studying clinical psychology at the University of Lancashire, and had planned to travel to Romania for her postgraduate studies.

On February 1, Carla’s mother Janina had come to stay with her in her university halls in Preston for a weekend of shopping ahead of Carla’s birthday.

It was the last time her mother would see her daughter alive.

Unbeknownst to Carla or Janina, Owens had long harboured a “sexual obsession” with his stepdaughter.

The court heard that he had edited childhood pictures of Carla into explicit images.

He had also created a life-sized “effigy” of her, which he had clothed in her nightdress, and was said to have filmed himself having sex with her dolls and toys.

On Monday, Owens’ barrister, John Elvidge KC, told jurors that his client would not be giving evidence in his own defence.

Just days after seeing her over the weekend, on February 4, Owens travelled from Hartlepool to Preston alone.

He had messaged Carla to say that he and her mother were coming to pick up a purse they had left behind over the weekend.

He then parked in a side street, rather than his usual parking space, and covered his head with a blanket as Carla let him into her accommodation, Ribble Hall.

After following her to her room, Owens subjected Carla to a ‘violent’ sexual assault and murdered her, before staging the scene to look like she had taken her own life.

He then left the building while hiding his face with an umbrella and face mask.

In the hours that followed, Owens drove back home to Hartlepool, disposing of bedding containing Carla’s DNA along the way.

Carla’s body was found after her mother Janina grew concerned she was not answering her messages, as Owens did not mention he had ever left to see Carla at all.

On February 5 - Carla’s 20th birthday - she called campus security to do a welfare check, where they found Carla in her room.

Two days later, Owens was arrested on suspicion of murder, and later denied charges of murder and grievous bodily harm with intent.

However, after a three-week trial, jurors yesterday (October 22) found Owens guilty of murder after three hours of deliberation.

He will be sentenced later today at Preston Crown Court.