Nathan Owens, the stepfather convicted of murdering University of Lancashire student Carla Georgescu in her halls of residence, is due to be sentenced today at Preston Crown Court. Owens, of Hopps Street, Hartlepool, was found guilty of murder following a trial, and Mr Justice Jacobs will hand down a mandatory life sentence and set a minimum term before Owens is eligible to apply for parole.
Murder in University Accommodation
Carla, who was born in Romania, was found dead on February 5, 2026, on what would have been her 20th birthday. During the trial, the court heard how Owens brutally attacked Carla before staging a scene in her bedroom to make it appear she had taken her own life.
In the early hours of February 4, Owens travelled from Hartlepool to Preston and murdered Carla after learning she was planning to meet her online boyfriend for the first time in Romania. Owens told no one he had visited Carla until February 6, when his wife spoke to a coroner's officer investigating the death and said her daughter had 'everything to live for'.
Evidence of Obsession
The jury heard that Owens harboured a sexual obsession with Carla. In the weeks before her death, he viewed hundreds of sexual images linked with his desires, superimposed Carla's head onto porn photos, filmed himself having sex with her anime toys, and wore her lingerie. He also created a life-sized effigy of the teenager and had sex with it dressed in her nightdress.
Owens pleaded not guilty to murder and grievous bodily harm but declined to give any explanation for the images seized from his electronic devices. He told police Carla had asked him to help her tidy her room and take sanitary items from home in the early hours of February 4, but refused to answer further questions.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Throughout the trial, Owens smirked and flicked his hair as intimate details of Carla's life and mental health were examined in public. He will return to the dock today, Friday October 23, where Mr Justice Jacobs will set the minimum term he must serve before being considered for parole.
