A welder accused of strangling his girlfriend to death had previously attempted to choke her, a court has heard. Stephen Sexton, 39, is on trial for the rape, coercive control, and murder of Joanna Derkacz. Sexton, of Totton, Southampton, denies all charges.
The 37-year-old recruitment consultant was found dead at her home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, by her sister Arleta Derkacz on the morning of December 28, 2023, Winchester Crown Court was told. Arleta had travelled to the property after being unable to reach her sister by phone.
Sister's account of prior choking
In a pre-recorded police interview played to the jury, Arleta said Joanna had revealed that Sexton had been aggressive towards her before and had attempted to choke her on one occasion. “She did say he was trying to choke her, but she was trying to go away. She managed to release him with her hands,” she explained. “I know he was aggressive very often, especially in the last year.”
Arleta also described arriving at the property and the moment she found her sister with her head in a “peculiar position” in her bedroom. “The atmosphere was like creepy inside. Stephen looked really scared,” she said. “He came downstairs, and I asked him, ‘Where is my sister?’ and he said, ‘She’s not here.’”
Discovery of Joanna's body
Arleta said Sexton continued to insist Joanna was out with friends, prompting her to say, “I am going upstairs.” She recalled: “He said, ‘No, you won’t.’ At that moment, I swear to God, I heard a voice from upstairs. It’s really hard to describe. I pushed him away, and I ran upstairs.” She called out “Joanna, Joanna” before finding her sister dead.
Arleta then ran downstairs and saw Sexton in the kitchen holding a knife. “I was worried he would point the knife at me; he then looked into my eyes and pointed the knife into his hands,” she explained. “I ran out and just started shouting like an animal, ‘He killed my sister.’ The neighbours came out, and I do not remember. I was crying (and) shouting.”
Describing Sexton’s demeanour, she added: “He looked like he had shivers all over the body, I don’t know if it was because he was scared. Normally he sounds very loud, confident. This time he had a very fragile, soft (and) not very loud (voice).”
Prosecution details
The court previously heard that Joanna died of compression to the neck and was thought to have been killed between 12.20am and 12.46am that morning. Nicola Shannon KC, prosecuting, previously told the jury that in the hours after Joanna died, Sexton visited two sex workers. She also said that when Joanna spoke to police during a welfare visit earlier that month, she said Sexton had never strangled her. The trial continues.
