A man has been found guilty of murdering his Hartlepool stepdaughter after harbouring a sexual obsession for her.

Carla Georgescu was found dead in her student flat in Preston on her 20th birthday after Nathan Owens, 34, had travelled from Hartlepool the night before to kill her, Preston Crown Court heard.

Carla, described as “intelligent, gentle and articulate” was an undergraduate student at the University of Lancashire, studying clinical psychology, with future plans to take postgraduate studies in Romania.

The weekend before she was killed, Carla’s mother came to Preston to stay with her, enjoying shopping and dinner together, with Owens joining later.

Carla Georgescu was murdered by her step father.

placeholder image — Carla Georgescu was murdered by her step father.

Unknown to Carla or her mother, Owens, 34, of Hopps Street, Hartlepool, had harboured a sexual obsession with her.

He had doctored childhood photographs of her to make them indecent images, had photographed her without her knowledge in their house and had filmed himself carrying out sexual acts, on occasions in Carla’s bedroom, and with an effigy.

In the early hours of February 4, Owens left his partner to travel again to Preston.

He messaged Carla, pretending that he and her mother were coming to pick up a purse her mother had left behind.

An undated handout photo issued by Lancashire Police of Hartlepool murderer Nathan Owens.

Security camera footage of Carla letting him into her halls of residence was the last time she was seen alive.

He then subjected his stepdaughter to a violent and sexual assault and killed her.

Owens staged the scene to look like Carla had taken her own life and returned home as though nothing had happened, disposing of evidence on his route.

Detectives from Lancashire Police arrested him soon afterwards but he denied any involvement in Carla’s death.

The body of teenage Hartlepool student Carla Georgescu was discovered at halls of residence at the University of Lancashire, in Preston, which was formerly known as the University of Central Lancashire.

He chose not to give evidence at his trial and has offered no explanation for his actions.

Owens was convicted by a jury of murder following a two-week trial.

He will be sentenced on Friday.

Detective Inspector Pete Macdonald, of Lancashire Police, said afterwards: “Carla was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, a life that was taken away by someone she should have been able to trust.

“Owens had a despicable, perverted sexual obsession with his stepdaughter, an obsession that ended with him killing her. He has now been brought to justice for his crimes.

“I thank the jury for returning a guilty verdict, as well as the prosecution counsel, Nicholas Lumley KC, Adam Birkby, barrister, my investigation team and the Crown Prosecution Service for all of their efforts to obtain justice for Carla.

“No verdict brings Carla back, but I hope that her mum and the rest of her loved ones can feel some sense of justice that the man responsible for taking her future away has been brought to justice.”