A 19-year-old university student appeared to let her “sexually obsessed” stepfather into her accommodation after he approached with his head concealed beneath a blanket, moments before he allegedly strangled her, a court has heard.
Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of murdering his stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu, after driving more than 100 miles overnight to reach her student residence.
Prosecutors allege he acted out of “sexual jealousy” after discovering that Carla, a second-year clinical psychology student, intended to meet a man she had been romantically involved with online.
Jurors at Owens’ murder trial were told that his “escalating fascination” with Carla included having sex with a life-sized “effigy” of her. The model had reportedly been dressed in his teenage stepdaughter’s nightdress.
Video shown at Preston Crown Court appears to show Carla, dressed in a fluffy dressing gown and pyjamas, allowing Owens into Ribble Hall, her block of student flats at the University of Lancashire campus in Preston. The footage was recorded at about 4am on February 4, with Owens’ head concealed beneath a patterned blanket.
Owens had allegedly driven from the family home in Hartlepool, County Durham, without telling his sleeping wife, Janina, who is Carla’s mother.
Prosecutors say he had given Carla a false explanation for his earlier visit, claiming her mother had left her purse at the family home when they visited for an early birthday meal three days before.
In the CCTV footage, Owens appears to glance towards the camera before Carla takes him upstairs to her room.
Carla Georgescu, 19, a second-year clinical psychology student at the University of Lancashire, was allegedly strangled and murdered by her stepfather, Nathan Owens.
CCTV shows Carla Georgescu, wearing a fluffy dressing gown, letting her stepfather Nathan Owens, 34, into her university accommodation in Preston at about 4am on February 4, 2026. His face was covered by a blanket.
Owens was captured leaving the building roughly 90 minutes later, allegedly shielding himself with an umbrella and wearing a face mask. He had Carla’s trainers on and was carrying two bags. Her body was found the next day after her mother, Janina, contacted the university.
About an hour and a half later, footage allegedly showed Owens leaving the building while using an umbrella as cover and wearing a face mask, Carla’s trainers and two bags.
He then drove home, allegedly stopping along the way to discard several items. Bedding later recovered was found to contain traces of Carla’s DNA, prosecutors said.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Owens’ wife said he did not tell her that he had travelled to see Carla during the night when she woke later that morning.
Janina became concerned when Carla failed to answer her calls and messages. The following day, Carla’s 20th birthday, she contacted university security to ask for a welfare check.
Staff found Carla’s body slumped against a wardrobe door with a belt around her neck. They initially believed she had taken her own life.
The court heard that Owens only told his wife about his late-night journey to Preston after police informed the couple that Carla had been found dead.
He claimed Carla had asked him to bring her incontinence pads and help organise her room.
The prosecution alleges that the explanation was an attempt to “cover his tracks” and “keep his wife onside”.
Preston Crown Court was shown footage that allegedly captured Owens walking towards the student flats with a patterned blanket over his head shortly before his stepdaughter was murdered.
Carla’s body was found at her University of Lancashire accommodation, Ribble Hall in Preston, on February 5 after her mother raised the alarm
She had last seen her Romania-born daughter three days before her death during an early birthday celebration at a Korean restaurant in Preston.
Ms Georgescu had travelled from Hartlepool by train for the meal on February 1 as Carla was due to travel to Romania on her birthday to meet her online boyfriend for the first time.
They were later joined by Owens, who came by car.
But the prosecution allege he returned to Carla’s flat in the early hours of February 4, without telling his wife.
He allegedly then brutally attacked Carla before fleeing the scene, dumping evidence and attempting to cover his tracks.
Owens, whose DNA was found at the scene, was arrested the day after her body was found.
The prosecution allege that Owens had become ‘sexually fixated’ with Carla and her death was the culmination of weeks, months and perhaps years of a ‘one-sided sexual obsession’.
He is said to have taken photos of Carla without her knowledge, filmed himself having sex with her dolls and toys, one of which was a life-sized ‘effigy’ that he had clothed in her nightdress, and manipulated an innocent image of her so it appeared sexual.
Owens also allegedly made videos of him using sex toys and accessed further images of Carla ‘deriving sexual satisfaction’ from them.
He denies charges of murder, intentional strangulation and grievous bodily harm with intent.
The trial continues.
