A man accused of raping and murdering his partner because she wanted to end their relationship visited two sex workers shortly after the killing, a court has heard.
Stephen Sexton is on trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with the rape, coercive control and murder of 37-year-old Joanna Derkacz at their home in Hampshire. Nicola Shannon KC, prosecuting, told the court that Sexton is alleged to have murdered Ms Derkacz because she wanted him to leave their home.
Timeline of the alleged murder
The prosecutor said that Ms Derkacz, who died of compression to the neck, was thought to have been killed between 12.20am and 12.46am on December 28, 2023. She told the jury that shortly afterwards, the welder made appointments to visit two sex workers.
Ms Shannon said that the first visit in Portsmouth was only for about one minute at 1.49am and that "maybe it was unsuccessful". He then returned home and made arrangements with the second sex worker, whom he visited, again in Portsmouth, at about 2.50am.
She said: "Whatever had happened between them (Ms Derkacz and Sexton) at the house, it appears that Stephen Sexton’s sexual arousal had not been fully satisfied. It may be too that the act of killing her aroused a degree of excitement in itself."
Alleged controlling behaviour
The prosecutor said that the 39-year-old defendant had become increasingly controlling towards his partner for more than a year before her death. She said: "On one occasion, Joanna went to Kwik Fit because she was concerned that there was an Apple AirTag tracker fitted to her car and indeed there was, lodged, hidden, under one of the front wheel arches."
Ms Shannon said that the couple had "socialised with neighbours in what was a friendly street" and that residents described Ms Derkacz as a "petite young woman who was always well-presented". Sexton had run a welding business, but that had failed, and friends said that Ms Derkacz paid all the bills.
Ms Shannon said: "That apparent stability, however, we would submit, was a thin veneer on what was, in reality, a toxic and abusive relationship in which we say his behaviour was jealous, controlling and coercive." She said that Sexton was jealous of any contact Ms Derkacz had with male friends and colleagues and had shown a "degree of stalking" by checking her emails and sending a "warning message" to one of her colleagues.
Final message and ultimatum
She added that Sexton would take drugs which "led to fits of anger and threats of violence". One of the last messages sent by Ms Derkacz to the defendant was: "Not only that I can’t trust u not only with women but I don’t feel save (sic) around you."
Ms Shannon said: "Tragically, her concerns were, we say, well-founded – the evidence suggests that within an hour of sending that message she was dead." She said that Ms Derkacz had then given Sexton an "ultimatum" to leave their home by midday the following day and then blocked his number on her phone.
Sexton, of Totton, Southampton, denies the charges and the trial continues.
