Nathan Owens sentenced to life for murder of stepdaughter in Preston

Nathan Owens, 34, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 35 years for the murder of his stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu, in Preston. The crime occurred in a student apartment on the eve of the victim's 20th birthday.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Owens had developed a sexual obsession with Georgescu. He had digitally altered her childhood photographs to create indecent images and filmed himself performing sexual acts in her bedroom, sometimes using a doll made to resemble her.

On the night of the murder, Owens traveled approximately 160 kilometers from Hartlepool to Preston. After physically and sexually assaulting the victim, he attempted to stage the scene to look like a suicide. Judge Jacobs described the attack as ‘horrible and brutal,’ noting that the victim suffered significantly both mentally and physically during her final 90 minutes.