Stepdad On Trial Over Sex Obsession And Murder Of teen Daughter Carla

A 34-year-old stepfather has gone on trial at Preston Crown Court accused of strangling his 19-year-old stepdaughter, clinical psychology undergraduate Carla Georgescu, inside her university accommodation following what prosecutors describe as an escalating, one-sided sexual obsession. Nathan Owens, of Hartlepool, County Durham, denies charges of murder, intentional strangulation, and grievous bodily harm with intent following the discovery of the second-year student's body in Ribble Hall at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston on 5 February 2026. Crown prosecutors allege that Owens made a surreptitious 100-mile overnight journey to the campus in the early hours of 4 February, motivated by intense sexual jealousy after discovering his Romanian-born stepdaughter had arranged to travel abroad to meet an online romantic partner.

Late Night Intrusion at Student Accommodation- Jurors were presented with closed-circuit television recordings documenting the moments preceding the fatal encounter. Security cameras positioned outside the residential halls captured Owens arriving at Ribble Hall at approximately 4:00 AM on 4 February, having his face and head concealed beneath a patterned blanket. Carla Georgescu, dressed in pyjamas and a dressing gown, permitted him entry after he allegedly concocted a pretext claiming her mother had accidentally left her handbag in the room during a family visit three days earlier. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that Owens had left the family residence in Hartlepool without the knowledge or consent of his sleeping wife, Janina Georgescu, before driving through the night across Northern England to access the premises.

The court heard that Owens remained inside the student residence for approximately ninety minutes before departing shortly before dawn. Secondary surveillance recordings shown to the jury captured the defendant walking away from the hall holding an umbrella to obscure his features, wearing a protective face mask, and carrying two bags while wearing Carla Georgescu's trainers. The prosecution contends that Owens subsequently drove back to County Durham, making intermediate stops along the motorway network to discard evidence, including bedding material that forensic analysts later confirmed bore traces of the victim's genetic profile.

Discovery and the Attempted Concealment- The victim's body was discovered on 5 February, the day that marked her twentieth birthday, after her mother raised the alarm with campus authorities following repeated unanswered phone calls and text messages. University security officers conducting an urgent welfare check entered the student flat and located Carla Georgescu slumped against a wardrobe with a belt tightened around her neck, an arrangement that initially led attending personnel to suspect self-harm. Pathologists later concluded that the undergraduate had succumbed to fatal strangulation inflicted by an external party.

Crown prosecutors outlined that Owens initially concealed his overnight travel from his wife, maintaining silence regarding the journey until Lancashire Constabulary officially notified the family of Carla's death. Following police intervention, Owens claimed to have driven to Preston to deliver adult incontinence wear and assist his stepdaughter with cleaning her living quarters. The prosecution submitted to the jury that this account represented a deliberate attempt to fabricate an alibi, mislead family members, and shield himself from forensic scrutiny.

Prosecution Outlines Evidence of Fixation- The Crown’s case focuses extensively on digital forensic evidence recovered from devices associated with the defendant. Jurors were told that Owens had developed an invasive fixation on Carla Georgescu spanning multiple months, culminating in clandestine surveillance and manufactured explicit material. Digital investigators discovered that Owens had covertly photographed his stepdaughter, altered regular family pictures to appear sexually suggestive, and constructed a life-sized effigy wearing her private clothing.

The prosecution submitted that the fatal confrontation was triggered when Owens learned that Carla had booked flights to Romania to spend her twentieth birthday with a partner she had met on the internet. Three days prior to the killing, Carla's mother had travelled to Preston by train to celebrate her daughter's upcoming birthday over dinner at a local Korean restaurant, where Owens later joined them by car. Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that the Crown views this milestone trip as the catalyst that prompted Owens to make the clandestine overnight journey. Owens maintains his innocence against all indictments as proceedings continue before Mr Justice Goose at Preston Crown Court.