Engineer accused of raping and murdering girlfriend after two-year abuse campaign

Stephen Sexton, 39, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of raping and murdering Joanna Derkacz after years of controlling behaviour.

Engineer 'used Tesco bag to restrain girlfriend before rape and murder', court told

Stephen Sexton subjected his girlfriend Joanna Derkacz to two years of controlling abuse before he allegedly strangled, raped and murdered her, Winchester Crown Court heard this week.

The Sun reports that the 39-year-old engineer from Totton, Southampton, is accused of using a Tesco shopping bag to restrain Derkacz before raping and killing her — then taking her car and phone to visit a prostitute afterwards.

Prosecutor Nicola Shannon KC told jurors that Sexton allegedly messaged a sex worker in Portsmouth at around 2.50am, saying: "I'll be there in 20 minutes ok baby."

Shannon said: "Whatever had happened between them at the house, it appears that Stephen Sexton's sexual arousal had not been fully satisfied. It may be too that the act of killing her aroused a degree of excitement in itself."

'He just flips'

Police had attended Derkacz's home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, following a welfare check after Sexton reported her missing when she returned home late from a night out. Officers described the "tearful" 37-year-old as telling them her partner was "very controlling" and would "just flip."

She showed police a laptop Sexton had allegedly broken that same morning by stamping on it during an argument. Intimate swabs taken during the post-mortem examination later revealed DNA matching the defendant — which prosecutors say was the result of rape, as any sexual contact at that point would not have been consensual.

Joanna told officers: "He is very controlling. He is very narcissistic. He doesn't like me going out anywhere. I don't know if he took something because he has got that thing where he flips."

She also told police that Sexton had called her a "s**t", was "aggressive" towards her, would switch the lights off while she was in the shower, and had thrown large glasses of water over her face. She said he had also hurled water at her and smashed her phone and laptop out of jealousy.

Prior conviction for assault on ex-wife

Joanna told officers that Sexton had assaulted his ex-wife — a matter for which he was convicted — and had threatened to take her puppies from her. When police pointed out that was not sufficient reason to remain in the relationship, she replied: "Well it is for me."

She had also told her sister Arleta that Sexton had tried to strangle her on one occasion, though she managed to push him away.

Officers initially assessed the risk to Joanna as "medium" before reviewing and upgrading it to "high risk." Three weeks after that welfare check, Sexton allegedly killed her.

Body found by sister

On 28 December 2023, Sexton is alleged to have strangled Derkacz and left her body for her sister Arleta to discover. A post-mortem examination found three broken bones in Joanna's neck, injuries consistent with being caused by an arm or the crook of an elbow.

Shannon told the court: "It is one of the tragedies of this case that, although Joanna was wary and there were in retrospect so many red flags, neither she nor the officers seem to have realised how far Stephen Sexton might go when he realised she was slipping from his grasp. Her optimism and compassion may have cost her her life."

Sexton denies all charges. The trial continues.

Source: The Sun