Bitter boyfriend raped and murdered girlfriend before turning knife on himself, court hears

A bitter jilted boyfriend raped and murdered his girlfriend before turning a knife on himself and pleading to die, a court heard.

“Jealous” Stephen Sexton, 39, is alleged to have strangled Joanna Derkacz, 37, in the early hours of December 28, 2023, at their home in Nevinson Way, Waterlooville.

Winchester Crown Court heard how Sexton allegedly subjected Joanna to 12 months of “controlling and coercive” behaviour before killing her in a jealous rage.

Sexton, of Cherrywood Gardens, Totton, denies murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behaviour at the retrial.

The court heard how Sexton displayed jealous, controlling and coercive behaviour after their relationship of three years broke down while they still lived together.

Jurors heard Sexton's behaviour worsened after his welding business failed with him jealous of male friends and colleagues. His behaviour was exacerbated when he was drinking alcohol or taking drugs, the court heard.

Jurors were told Sexton came to police attention less than three weeks before Joanna’s death after she warned officers he was “narcissistic” and said: “He’s got this thing where he flips”.

But these “red flags” were missed by police, who did not realise “how far Sexton might go”, it was said.

Nicola Shannon KC, prosecuting, said: “Joanna and Stephen had been in a relationship for the last three years – one which the prosecution say had become controlling and coercive over the year before.

“On occasion it had been violent and threatening. By December 2023 Stephen Sexton’s behaviour had frightened Joanna.

“She told her sister that on one occasion he had tried to strangle her but that she had managed to push him away.

“He also took her phone more than once and broke a phone and her laptop in fits of anger.

“Over the months it had involved jealousy, paranoia and attempts to control and isolate her.”

On December 11, 2023, two police officers went to see Joanna as part of a “welfare visit”.

She told the police Sexton was “very controlling” and “narcissistic” and “doesn’t like it when I go out”.

But in a “fatal mistake”, Joanna had “underestimated” Sexton believing she could “handle it”, Ms Shannon said.

The prosecutor added: “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, we say, have cost her her life.”

The court heard Joanna was found dead at their home by her sister Arleta. She had gone to the home after growing concerned about Joanna who was not picking up her phone.

Jurors were told the couple’s two dogs were running around “agitated” and that Sexton looked “really scared”.

He told Arleta Joanna had gone out with friends but she pushed him away and found her sister “lying on the bed, lifeless”, it was said.

She ran downstairs and started shouting: “You killed my sister, you killed my sister”.

Ms Shannon KC said: “By this time Stephen Sexton was standing in the kitchen, holding a knife.

“When she first saw him with the knife he was staring at her. He said ‘you’re not leaving’.

“She said it felt like she was ‘in a movie’ – it felt unreal but at the same time she was petrified and froze.

“Then she saw him turn it on himself and point it into his wrist. She realised that was her opportunity to get out and she ran.”

After running outside where neighbours had gathered Arleta was “screaming like an animal” that Sexton had “killed my sister”.

The court heard Sexton was found in a shower cubicle with “both arms cut” with him “bleeding heavily”. When arrested he told officers: “Please let me die.”

A post mortem found Joanna had internal fractures of bones on both sides of her neck, which prosecutors allege was caused by being strangled in Sexton’s forearm or the crook of his elbow.

His DNA was also found on Joanna after he allegedly raped her, jurors were told.

(Proceeding)