Exclusive:Waterlooville woman planned to leave boyfriend before being found dead in their home, friend tells court
Stephen Sexton denies the murder and rape of Joanna Derkacz.
A woman found dead in her home had made plans to separate from her “jealous and aggressive” boyfriend, a court has been told
Stephen Sexton, 38, is on trial accused of the murder of Joanna Derkacz, as well as rape, and controlling or coercive behaviour. The 37-year-old was found dead at the couple’s home in Nevinson Way, Waterlooville on December 28, 2023. Sexton denies the charges.
Appearing in court via video link, Joanna’s friend Dari Marukiew gave evidence about how Sexton flew into a “rage” during an argument, and that Joanna had made plans to leave him before she died.
Ms Marukiew moved to England in 2013 for work, but now lives in her native Poland. She went to Sexton and Joanna’s house on multiple occasions, but said the defendant was always “distant” when she was around.
Through an interpreter, Ms Marukiew said: “Sexton seemed unstable, and was behaving in a strange way - he seemed to be distant, he didn’t talk much and wouldn’t spend time with us.
“When I spoke to Joanna she said he was jealous and aggressive. He was jealous about me spending time with her, he was always checking where she was going and who she was messaging on her phone.
“He once broke her laptop and took her phone away. She was shaken when she spoke to me about it.”
Ms Marukiew told the court that Joanna arrived at her home in Bognor Regis one evening, following an argument with Sexton. She then stayed at the house “for a day or two”, and was worried that the defendant might try to follow her.
“She was very shaken, and looked like something had happened to her,” Ms Marukiew said. “She came into my house crying. I asked her what had happened and Joanna said she had an argument with Sexton.
“He got into a rage because he saw a book she had been given by someone; Joanna told me he took the book away, and pulled her repeatedly by her blouse. She managed to get out of the house and drove to me. She didn’t have anything with her - she said Sexton had taken her phone and laptop.”
While at Ms Marukiew’s house, Joanna told her friend she was making arrangements to leave Sexton for good. She also tried to tell her friend not to rush home.
She added: “Joanna wanted to break up, so everyone could go their separate ways. It would have been in the new year, once they had sold the dogs.
“My advice to her was that she should stay with us. We gave her time to calm down, but didn’t ask too many questions.
“She then told me she was going home. I never saw her after that.”
(Proceeding)