Stepfather accused of strangling student daughter after overnight drive to Preston

Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of murdering his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Carla Georgescu, at her student accommodation in Preston. Prosecutors say he drove more than 100 miles there overnight and strangled her because he was jealous that she planned to meet a man she had met online. The allegations, including an account of an effigy and claims of efforts to delete digital evidence, were presented at his murder trial.

CCTV shown to the jury appears to show Carla letting Owens into her building at about 4am on 4 February, with his head covered, and him leaving around 90 minutes later wearing her trainers and carrying bags. Her body was found the next day, after her mother raised the alarm; the court heard it was discovered with a belt around her neck. Jurors also heard that Owens allegedly searched online about police investigations and deleted data from his devices after officers questioned him.