Moment university student, 19, lets 'sexually obsessed' stepdad into her halls with his head covered by blanket before he allegedly strangled her

This is the moment a 19-year-old university student lets her ‘sexually obsessed' stepfather into her campus accommodation with his head hidden by a blanket before he allegedly strangled her.

Nathan Owens, 34, is accused of murdering his stepdaughter Carla Georgescu after driving more than 100 miles through the night to her student halls.

Prosecutors claim his actions were driven by 'sexual jealousy' after learning the second-year clinical psychology student planned to meet a man she had been romantically involved with online.

Owens' '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.

Footage played at Preston Crown Court shows Carla – wearing a fluffy dressing gown and pyjamas – letting Owens into Ribble Hall, her block of student flats at the University of Lancashire campus in Preston, at around 4am on February 4, his head hidden by a patterned blanket.

Owens had driven from the family home in Hartlepool, County Durham, without telling his sleeping wife Janina, Carla's mother.

He gave Carla a false story about her mother having left her purse there when they joined her for an early birthday meal three days earlier, prosecutors say.

In the footage, Owens glances towards the camera before she takes him up to her room.

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 Georgescu, in a fluffy dressing gown, caught on CCTV letting her stepfather Nathan Owens, 34, into her university accommodation in Preston at around 4am on February 4, 2026, with his face covered by a blanket

Owens captured leaving the building around an hour-and-a-half later, 'shielding' himself with an umbrella and wearing a face-mask while wearing Carla's trainers and carrying two bags. Her body was found the following day after her mother Janina called the university

He was captured leaving the building around an hour-and-a-half later, 'shielding' himself with an umbrella and wearing a face-mask while wearing Carla's trainers and carrying two bags.

Owens then drove back home, allegedly stopping en route to dump items including bedding later found to contain traces of Carla’s DNA.

His wife told jurors on Wednesday he did not mention having been to see Carla in the night when she awoke later that morning.

She became worried when Carla did not respond to her messages and phone calls, and the following day – which would have been Carla's 20th birthday – she contacted university security.

They carried out a welfare check and discovered her body slumped against a wardrobe door with a belt around her neck, initially believing she had hanged herself.

It was only after police had told the couple of the tragic discovery that Owens spoke to Ms Georgescu about his late-night trip to Preston, the court has heard.

He 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'.

Preston Crown Court was also shown footage of Owens allegedly walking towards the block of student flats with a patterned blanket over his head shortly before his stepdaughter was 'murdered'

Carla's body was found at her University of Lancashire accommodation, Ribble Hall in Preston, on February 5 after her mother raised the alarm 

She had last seen her Romania-born daughter three days before her death during an early birthday celebration at a Korean restaurant in Preston.

Ms Georgescu had travelled from Hartlepool by train for the meal on February 1 as Carla was due to travel to Romania on her birthday to meet her online boyfriend for the first time.

They were later joined by Owens, who came by car.

But the prosecution allege he returned to Carla's flat in the early hours of February 4, without telling his wife.

He allegedly then brutally attacked Carla before fleeing the scene, dumping evidence and attempting to cover his tracks.

Owens, whose DNA was found at the scene, was arrested the day after her body was found.

The prosecution allege that Owens had become 'sexually fixated' with Carla and her death was the culmination of weeks, months and perhaps years of a 'one-sided sexual obsession'.

He is said to have taken photos of Carla without her knowledge, filmed himself having sex with her dolls and toys, one of which was a life-sized 'effigy' that he had clothed in her nightdress, and manipulated an innocent image of her so it appeared sexual.

Owens also allegedly made videos of him using sex toys and accessed further images of Carla 'deriving sexual satisfaction' from them.

He denies charges of murder, intentional strangulation and grievous bodily harm with intent.