JUDGE JAILS NATHAN OWENS FOR MURDERING CARLA GEORGESCU

Mr Justice Jacobs sentenced Nathan Owens to life imprisonment for murdering his stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu, at her student accommodation in Preston. Owens was also convicted of assault causing grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation. Georgescu studied at the University of Lancashire and was found dead on 5 February. The court heard that Owens travelled from Hartlepool to her accommodation in the early hours of 4 February. He subjected her to a violent and sexual assault before killing her, according to the account presented at trial.

The court heard that Owens had developed a “sexual obsession” with Georgescu without her or her mother, Janina, knowing. He filmed himself having intercourse with an effigy adorned with Georgescu’s clothes. The trial also heard that he recorded himself performing sexual acts with stuffed toys. Owens altered childhood photographs of Georgescu to create indecent images. He also photographed her without her knowledge at their family home in Hartlepool.

Owens staged the scene to make Georgescu’s death appear to be suicide, the court heard. At sentencing, Mr Justice Jacobs called Owens “despicable” and described his assault on Georgescu as a “horrific, brutal attack”. The judge said the last 90 minutes of her life were “too horrendous to think about” and that she suffered mentally and physically during a substantial part of that time. Owens must serve a minimum of 35 years in prison.