Stepfather of murdered University of Lancashire student denies all charges in court

A man charged with the murder of a University of Lancashire student has denied guilt of the murder in court this week.

Nathan Owens, 34, was charged with his stepdaughter Carla-Maria Georgescu’s murder in February and was the only suspect connected, according to Lancashire Constabulary.

19-year-old Carla-Maria was found dead in her student accommodation in Victoria Street, Preston, on the afternoon of Thursday 5th February. Officers from Lancashire Constabulary were called to the scene after a sudden death was reported.

via Wikimedia Commons

Carla-Maria was a second year clinical psychology student at the University of Lancashire and was described by her personal tutor as a “warm, bright, engaging and enthusiastic student.”

The University of Lancashire Students Union organised a candlelit vigil to remember Carla-Maria in the week following her murder.

Nathan Owens, from Hartlepool in Durham, was arrested on suspicion of her murder and later charged on 10th February. The University of Lancashire released a statement on its website in February which said the man is “unconnected to the university but known to Carla-Maria”.

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Owens denied committing Carla-Maria’s murder when he appeared in Preston Crown Court on Monday 13th April via video link from HMP Preston. He has previously been charged with intentional strangulation and Section 18 assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, according to ITV News.

The Lancashire Post reported that Owens’ legal team requested additional time to provide a statement for the defence, but Judge Robert Altham rejected this request.

An inquest into the murder said that Carla was found dead on her 20th birthday, but detectives believe she likely died the day before.

Nathan Owens is set to be trialled for the murder in October, and will appear in Preston Crown Court for a pre-trial review in July.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, you can contact the University of Lancashire’s 24 hour mental health and wellbeing support helpline on +44 (0)800 0318 227, or accessLancaster University’s support services here. 

Alternatively, you can contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123, or contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.

Featured image via Geograph Britain and Ireland under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0