Parsons Pleasure Oxford death: Woman 'confessed to murder'

Scarlet Blake, 25, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court charged with the murder of Jorge Carreno.

It is the case of the Prosecution that she strangled the Spanish BMW plant worker until he was unconscious and pushed him into Parsons Pleasure on July 25, 2021.

She had denied any involvement in his murder but had admitted she did see him in the hours before his death. It is expected that the defence case will suggest Mr Carreno died accidentally or by suicide.

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In the trial on Wednesday (February 14), it was heard that Blake had allegedly confessed to murdering Mr Carreno to her ex-partner.

The information was revealed while her defence barrister, Richard Sutton KC, was reading out the evidence that was provided to forensic pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer when he was asked to re-examine his post-mortem findings.

Scarlet Blake at an earlier court appearance (Image: Hyde)Mr Sutton KC, reading the evidence provided, that that a woman in America, Ashlynn Bell, had told police in April last year that Blake had confessed to the murder to Mr Carreno.

Ms Bell police that Blake had  told her she went to Parsons Pleasure, a popular naked male bathing spot near the city centre, with Mr Carreno and they sat together by the river.

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This was after Mr Carreno had been a night out with friends and colleagues and had been seen walking around the city centre alone from about 2am to 4am in the early hours of July 25, 2021.

Blake allegedly told Ms Bell that she then sat behind Mr Carreno and strangled him with a homemade garotte while they were sat up against a tree.

It was alleged that Blake said she then 'checked to see if he was dead to see if she could break his neck or remove his head' but decided instead to push him into the water.

The jury have seen a picture of a homemade garotte, a type of ligature, that was reportedly found on Blake’s phone.

A police CCTV image of a hooded figure on the night of the death. Blake admitted to seeing the 'victim' on this night (Image: TVP)Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC described it as being made with piano wire and two metal columns.

She said Blake had bought piano wire earlier in the year after her financial records were looked at.

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When giving evidence, Dr Lockyer said it was ‘unlikely’ a garotte was used as it is a ‘thin ligature’ and would have left physical marks on Mr Carreno.

Jorge Carreno (Image: Family handout)However, he said he could not exclude the fact a ‘broader ligature’ could have been used as it wouldn’t necessarily leave a mark.

The trial continues.