Exclusive:Man accused of murdering Joanna Derkacz was ‘jealous and aggressive’, friend tells court
Stephen Sexton denies charges of murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behaviour.
A man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend was both aggressive and jealous towards her friends, a jury has been told.
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.
Sexton, of Cherrywood Gardens, Totton, denies murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behaviour at the retrial.
But a long-time friend of Ms Derkacz, Jerzy Pajszczyk, told the jury at Winchester Crown Court today (Friday, November 13) that Sexton had a reputation for being jealous of those who spent time with her - particularly men.
Giving evidence with the support of a translator, he said: “I knew her for more than 15 years, we met when we started working at the same factory together in Littlehampton. I knew Ms Derkacz for so long that she became like my sister to me - she even helped my family to get jobs at the factory too.
“When she started her relationship with Sexton, we didn’t speak to each other as much. When it started, I didn’t hear a lot of good things, mostly bad things.
“She said he was a controlling person, who could switch in a second. When he did, she said she didn’t recognise him as the person she first met.
“I know he broke her laptop - he would become very aggressive towards her, and destroy things in the house when he got angry.”
The court heard how Sexton and Ms Derkacz first met on the dating app Tinder. He has already pleaded guilty to a single charge of criminal damage, in relation to the aforementioned laptop.
The defendant, wearing a black suit with a white shirt and purple tie in the dock, sat upright and stony-faced as the evidence was given.
On more than one occasion, Mr Pajszczyk went out with Sexton and Ms Derkacz together - but told the court the latter didn’t have much interest in hanging out.
“I knew he was jealous of people, and was especially jealous of me becuase we had been friends for so long,” he added. “He was angry at Ms Derkacz for that; she would always be worried about how he would react when he saw me.
“I never had deep conversations with him either, he’s just not like that.
“For a long time their relationship wasn’t good. She gave him lots of chances, because she believed people could change, but in the end she lost hope of that.”
Mr Pajszczyk, known as Zak to his friends, would later receive a message from Sexton late in 2023, accusing him of being in love with Ms Derkacz.
The message read: “When you do [tell her] she will drop you straight away like last time and never speak to you again.”