Stepdad guilty of murdering student, 19

This article contains distressing details.

A man has been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter at her university flat.

Nathan Owens, 34, from Hartlepool, killed Carla Georgescu in the 19-year-old's room at her hall of residence in Preston, Lancashire, in February.

The trial at Preston Crown Court previously heard Owens had secretly taken photographs of Carla and superimposed her face on to naked pornographic images of women.

Carla's body was found in her room at Ribble Hall on 5 February.

Prosecutors closed their case on Monday, after Owens said he would not be taking to the witness box or offering any other testimony.

The trial saw CCTV footage of Owens having a meal with Carla in the days before she died and him going to her flat in the early hours of 4 February wrapped in a blanket.

Carla let him into the building at about 04:00 GMT and he left an hour and a half later, the court heard.

Neither the red pyjama bottoms Carla was wearing when she went to the door nor the teenager's grey trainers which Owens was seen in when he left the flat have been found, the court heard in the final submissions from prosecutors.

Her laptop was disconnected from her home's WiFi at 05:19 and has also never been recovered.

Owens will be sentenced on Friday.

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