Torture-obsessed woman accused of Don't F*** with Cats-inspired murder 'knocked BMW engineer, 30, unconscious with bottle of vodka before leaving him to drown in river', court hears
A BMW engineer allegedly murdered by a woman inspired to kill by the Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats' could have been knocked unconscious with a bottle of vodka before drowning in a river, a Home Office pathologist told the court today.
Dr. Brett Lockyer told a jury that Jorge Carreno suffered “blunt force trauma” to the back of the head.
He said a bottle of vodka 'used as a weapon' may have caused the injuries and bleeding under the skull he found during a post-mortem examination.
The jury in the trial of cat killer Scarlet Blake, 25, has heard that financial records show she bought a bottle of vodka online before the alleged murder.
A red Smirnoff vodka bottle cap found by Carreno's body on the riverbank contained traces of Blake's DNA, Oxford Crown Court has been told.
Scarlet Blake, 25, (centre) – who was described as obsessed with torture and violence – is on trial at Oxford Crown Court, charged with the murder of Jorge Carreno
BMW engineer Carreno, 30, could have been knocked unconscious with a bottle of vodka before drowning in a river
During his testimony on the fifth day of the murder trial, Dr Lockyer said Carreno, 30, had a deep bruise measuring about 2cm on the back of his head.
He said the object would have caused bleeding under the skin because “the head hit an object or an object hit the head.”
When asked by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC whether a bottle of vodka could have caused the injury, he replied: “A bottle of that type that doesn't break, yes, absolutely.”
He said the blow could have caused the victim to lose consciousness.
Blake – who was described as obsessed with torture and violence – was the last person seen with Carreno as they walked the streets of Oxford in the early morning hours of July 2021.
CCTV footage shows Blake – who was live-streamed dissecting a cat and putting it in a blender months before the alleged murder – led Carreno to his death.
The engineer's death was initially thought to be a suicide or an accident, and remained unsolved for two years.
But following a complex police investigation by Thames Valley Police, Blake was arrested and charged with murder.
Blake, 25, was the last person seen with Carreno as they walked the streets of Oxford in the early morning hours
Chilling CCTV footage shows a cat killer obsessed with violence and death reportedly walking the streets of a city center in search of a victim
Blake, who denies murder, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court, where jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mr Carreno and Blake's movements through the city center hours before his death.
Prosecutors say Blake searched the streets of Oxford looking for someone to kill and found Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, who couldn't find his way home.
The death of Mr Carreno (pictured) in July 2021 was initially thought to be a suicide or an accident and remained unsolved for two years
The footage shows Mr Carreno, a Spanish citizen, trying to find his way home but not realizing he has dropped his wallet
Ultimately, Mr. Carreno is seen sitting in Radcliffe Square, where Blake later finds him and shares her vodka with him.
On the third day of the trial, bodycam footage from the first police officer on the scene was played at Oxford Crown Court, showing Mr Carreno's body being pulled from the water.
When police examined her cell phone, they found a collage of nine female serial killers and other images and boxes depicting strangulation.
The jury at Oxford Crown Court watched a video of Blake strangling a partner before passing out.
In the background of the video was a leopard print bathrobe cord and Blake took a selfie with the garment before walking through the streets looking for a victim.
Dr. Lockyer told the jury that a mark on the victim's neck could have been caused by a ligature.
He said a wide ligature could have caused the injury, but all traces would have disappeared if the body had been in the water for a while.
The jury of five women and seven men heard audio of a cat being killed along with Blake and the woman she live streamed during the horrific event while discussing the Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats '.
As she killed the rescue animal named Starlet, the New Order song “True Faith” could be heard in the background.
Canadian killer Paul Magnotta played the same song while choking cats and posted the videos on the Internet.
He was tracked down by animal lovers and convicted of the murder of computer technician Lin Jun in 2012.
A number of images found on Blake's phone were shown to the court. They include this downloaded collage of nine female killers
Another image titled 'First date with me' which showed photos of duct tape, a knife, rope and a gun was also downloaded to the 25-year-old's phone
Other photos taken from her phone and shown to the jury included a photo of a handmade garotte, made from two metal handles and piano wire
This photo of a bed with the message 'bruise my esophagus' in flower petals was shown to the court
This photo from a post on Reddit, in which a user urges people not to trust 'people like me', was also shown in court
A comic strip was shown during Blake's trial, which appears to show a person cleaning as they talk about getting rid of evidence.
Dr. Lockyer said his post-mortem verdict was that Carreno died by drowning, with alcohol intoxication being a factor.
He said Carreno was almost twice the legal drink-driving limit after spending the evening drinking with colleagues at BMW's Cowley plant.
He said: 'Whether the level of intoxication caused Mr Carreno to enter the water or impaired his ability to deliver himself from the water cannot be determined.'
The pathologist said he ended his initial report by saying that his results were based on facts presented at the time, but that if other information came to light it should be taken into consideration.
He was later shown the cat killing video and Blake's penchant for strangulation, and was asked to reconsider his original findings, including the possibility of strangulation.
Blake denies the murder and the trial continues.