Nathan Owens, 34, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 35 years for the murder of his stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu. A jury at Preston Crown Court took just over three hours to convict him of murder and grievous bodily harm.
Planned Attack and Staged Suicide
Owens, from Hartlepool, launched a brutal attack on Carla at her student halls in Preston, Lancashire, before staging the scene to look like suicide. Carla, a 19-year-old undergraduate studying Clinical Psychology, was found on February 5, 2026—what would have been her 20th birthday—suspended from a wardrobe, with sexual and defensive injuries and a stab wound to her face.
On the night of the attack, Owens travelled to Preston in the early hours of February 4. He messaged Carla, falsely claiming he and her mother were coming to collect a purse her mother had left behind. He parked in a side street, covered his head with a blanket, and was let into the halls by Carla. CCTV of her letting him in was the last time she was seen alive.
Sexual Obsession and Evidence Disposal
Before the murder, Owens had harboured a sexual obsession with Carla. He had doctored childhood photographs of her into indecent images, photographed her without her knowledge, and filmed himself carrying out sexual acts, sometimes in her bedroom. After the killing, he left the halls with bags of evidence, using Carla's umbrella and wearing her shoes, disposing of her mobile phone, bloodstained bedsheets, and a sex toy on his route through Cumbria.
When officers visited Owens' home to inform him of Carla's death, they asked why he had been seen on CCTV at her halls. He lied, saying he was there to pick up his wife. After they left, he searched the internet for phrases including 'I think the police think I'm guilty'. Detectives later arrested him on suspicion of murder.
Conviction and Sentencing
Owens pleaded not guilty to murder and chose not to give evidence at trial. He had previously admitted to counts of making indecent photographs of a child. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Jacobs said: "You have not demonstrated any remorse for what you did. You took victim blaming to its limit by suggesting she had taken her own life. Her mother had to come and give evidence. This demonstrates how despicable you are."
Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Pete Macdonald, of Lancashire Police Force Major Investigation Team, said: "Carla had her whole life ahead of her, which was ripped away by someone she should have been able to trust. Owens has taken Carla's life, but he has also changed her mum's completely." He added: "He is truly despicable. Nothing will bring Carla back to her mum and all those who loved her, but I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that Owens has been convicted and given a life sentence. He will rightly remain in prison for a long time."
Owens will not be eligible for release without the approval of the Parole Board and will remain on licence, subject to recall, for the rest of his life.
