Man guilty of murdering stepdaughter in Preston uni halls

Nathan Owens, 34, was convicted of the murder of Carla Georgescu, a clinical psychology student, following a trial.

Carla was found dead on her 20th birthday in her halls of residence after Owens had travelled from Hartlepool in the North East the night before to kill her.

The court heard Owens had harboured a sexual obsession with Carla.

He had doctored childhood photographs of her to create indecent images, secretly photographed her at home, and filmed himself performing sexual acts in her bedroom and with an effigy.

On February 1, Carla and her mother said goodbye after spending the weekend together in Preston, where she was a student at the University of Lancashire.

Owens had joined them for dinner to celebrate Carla’s upcoming birthday.

In the early hours of February 4, Owens travelled again to Preston without telling Carla’s mother, who believed her daughter was safe.

He messaged Carla, falsely claiming that he and her mother were coming to collect a purse her mother had left behind.

Carla let Owens into her halls of residence, unaware of his intentions.

CCTV footage showed this was the last time she was seen alive.

Carla Georgescu (Image: Police)

Owens followed Carla to her room, where he sexually assaulted and killed her before staging the scene to look like she had taken her own life.

Officers initially believed Carla had died by suicide but quickly became suspicious and launched a full investigation.

After the murder, Owens left the halls by a different route, covering his face with a mask and carrying bags filled with evidence.

He used Carla’s umbrella and wore her shoes as he left the scene.

Owens returned home and disposed of the evidence along the way.

Police visited Owens’ home to inform him and Carla’s mother of her death.

When officers later questioned him about being seen on CCTV at 4am at Carla’s halls, he lied, claiming he was there to pick up his wife.

Carla’s mother could not contradict his story as she had been asleep at the time.

Owens began to make internet searches after the officers left, including ‘I think the police think I'm guilty’.

Detectives soon returned to arrest him on suspicion of murder.

During police interviews, Owens denied any involvement in Carla’s death and claimed he had not caused her any harm.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Owens, 34, of no fixed abode but formerly of Hartlepool, was charged with murder, assault causing grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation.

He was later charged with two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and taking an indecent photograph of a child. Carla is the victim of all of these charges.

Owens pleaded not guilty to murder, forcing a trial in which the evidence of his crimes and Carla’s final moments was presented to the jury.

He chose not to give evidence and offered no explanation for his actions.

Today (October 21), the jury found him guilty of murder.

He had previously admitted to the counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

Owens is due to be sentenced on October 23.

DI 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.

“I thank the jury for returning a guilty verdict, as well as the prosecution counsel, Nicholas Lumley KC, Adam Birkby, 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.”