Stepfather 'who had sex with effigy of 19-year-old before killing her went on beach walk with her mother while her body lay undiscovered'

The mother of a university student allegedly murdered by her stepfather has described how he appeared his ‘normal self’ – even enjoying a beach walk with her while the 19-year-old's body lay undiscovered.Carla Georgescu was found dead on what would have been her 20th birthday at Ribble Hall, a student accommodation block at the University of Lancashire campus in Preston.Her stepfather Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of driving through the night and strangling the second year clinical psychology student after developing a ‘dangerous sexual obsession’ with her.His ‘escalating fascination’ with Carla included having sex with a life-sized 'effigy' of his teenage stepdaughter which he had clothed in her nightdress, jurors at his murder trial have been told.Owens allegedly drove from the family home in Hartlepool in the early hours of February 4 and attacked Carla in her student flat before her body was discovered the following day.Prosecutors say he may have been motivated by 'sexual jealousy' after discovering she was about to meet up with a man with whom she had struck up a romantic online relationship.He had a habit of staying up through the night while Carla’s mother, Janina Georgescu, slept, and he did not tell her about his travel plans that night, a jury at Preston Crown Court has heard.Owens arrived alone at Carla’s flat at 4am before leaving 90 minutes later. Carla Georgescu, 19, a second year clinical psychology student at the University of Lancashire, was allegedly strangled and murdered by her stepfather Nathan Owens Carla's body was found at her University of Lancashire accommodation, Ribble Hall in Preston, on February 5 after her mother raised the alarm Giving evidence today, Mrs Georgescu said she had spoken to her husband at their home later that morning, but he did not mention having gone to see Carla.Asked how he seemed by prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC, she replied: ‘Like always, his normal self.’Later that day the couple went for their regular walk at a nearby beach together and also shopping at an Asda store, Mrs Georgescu said.Asked if there was anything different about him, she responded: ‘No, he was his normal self.’Mrs Georgescu said she became worried when Carla had not responded to her messages and phone calls.She contacted university security the next day so they could carry out a welfare check, along with police.Two officers later went to the family home and told her she had been found hanged.Mrs Georgescu said she was left ‘shaking’ while Owens ‘started crying’, hugging and comforting her.It was only when she contacted a hospital mortuary and learned more details about her death that he revealed he had been at Carla’s flat in the early hours of the previous morning.Owens claimed Carla had wanted him to take incontinence pants to her and help her tidy her room.But the prosecution say this was an attempt to ‘cover his tracks’ and ‘keep his wife onside’.His admission left her ‘very agitated’, with ‘mixed emotions and a bit of anger’, Mrs Georgescu told the court.But asked by Mr Lumley if she had any reason to ‘doubt’ Owens, she replied that she did not because ‘it wasn’t inconsistent with his behaviour’.Mrs Georgescu had visited her daughter just days earlier when she appeared ‘very excited and happy’ about a forthcoming trip, later in the month, to meet her online boyfriend.Earlier the jury heard how the ‘intelligent’ and ‘articulate’ but ‘naive’ and sexually inexperienced teenager had wanted to become a child psychiatrist.She had written a book and had talked to her boyfriend Dan about moving to Romania and living with him.Carla was planning to travel to the country later that month to meet him in person for the first time after they struck up a relationship after meeting online.In a statement, read to the court, Dan said he liked her ‘sense of humour’ and she was ‘down to earth’.He said he was aware she’d previously had mental health struggles but ‘didn’t ever suggest she was considering taking her own life’.The couple said ‘goodnight’ to each other online every night and chatted via Instagram just hours before Owens arrived at Carla’s flat.Dan had told her: ‘It’s like I am falling in love again.’He told her they would see how their relationship ‘goes in the real world’ before wishing her goodnight and signing off with ‘love u’.Carla responded: ‘Goodnight beautiful.’Friends also said Carla had shown no signs of being suicidal and was a ‘very positive’ person.A university counsellor was ‘satisfied’ she had no plans to take her own life.The jury previously heard how Carla was found slumped against a wardrobe door with her belt around her neck after Owens allegedly strangled and murdered her.A post-mortem also revealed she had sustained two heavy blows to her head, wounds to her cheek caused by a knife or other sharp object, and cuts and bruises to her mouth and nose.The prosecution allege that in the months and weeks leading up to Carla’s murder Owens amassed material on her, which included ‘manipulating’ and ‘sexualising’ images of her.He allegedly took photos of Carla without her knowledge, focusing on her bottom, and they were part of an ‘escalating pattern’ in his ‘sexual fascination’ with her.He also filmed himself having sex with her dolls and toys, one of which was a life-sized ‘effigy’ that he’d dressed in her nightdress, and he manipulated an innocent image of her so it appeared sexual, jurors have been told.Owens also made videos of him using sex toys and accessed further images of Carla, ‘deriving sexual satisfaction’ from them, the prosecution say.He denies charges of murder, intentional strangulation, and grievous bodily harm with intent.The trial continues.