Murder victim told sister her violent boyfriend would choke her until she 'couldn't breathe' - days later he strangled her to death, trial hears

A woman who was strangled to death by her boyfriend told her sister days before that he would choke her until she 'couldn't breathe', a trial has heard.

Stephen Sexton, 39, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with the rape, coercive control and murder of Joanna Derkacz, 37, at their home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, on December 28, 2023.

Ms Derkacz's body was discovered on her bed by her sister Arleta Derkacz, who came out of the house screaming: 'He has killed my sister', Nicola Shannon KC, prosecuting, previously told the court.

Jurors had heard how Sexton had become increasingly controlling towards his partner for more than a year before her death, allegedly killing her when she decided to end their relationship.

They also previously heard from prosecutors how Sexton, a marine engineer and father-of-one, visited sex workers in the moments after murdering his former girlfriend as he became 'aroused'.

Today, jurors heard evidence from Ms Derkacz's sister, Arleta Derkacz, who said that her sister told her days before her murder that her violent boyfriend had choked her 'until she couldn't breathe'.

Arleta told jurors that her sister Joanna confessed to her that her boyfriend would strangle and choke her, but that she would fight back by pushing Sexton away from her.

Hospital worker Arleta told the court her younger sister was 'brave' and 'wanted to handle everything herself'.

Stephen Sexton (pictured, left) had strangled and choked his girlfriend Joanna Derkacz (pictured, right) before her death by the same method, Joanna's sister told the court

Arleta Derkacz (pictured outside Winchester Crown Court) told the court she was told by her sister that she was strangled days before she was murdered

But Arleta confessed she regretted trusting her sister to deal with the situation by herself, calling it the 'worst decision I ever made'.

She told jurors she offered Ms Derkacz money to move out of the home that she shared with her abusive partner, but said her sister 'wouldn't take it'.

Giving evidence to the court, Arleta said she told police after finding Ms Derkacz dead that her sister had confided in her that Sexton had been violent in the past.

Arleta explained that her sister told her around Christmas that it had happened a few months before.

She told police that Ms Derkacz told her: 'If I didn't push him away he would hurt me, he would choke me, like I couldn't breathe.'

It is alleged that Sexton murdered Ms Derkacz by the same method in their home in Waterlooville just days after she had told Arleta what happened.

Arleta told the court: 'She told me about the strangling. She told me around Christmas but it had happened a few months before.

'She said: "If I didn't push him away he would hurt me, he would choke me, like I couldn't breathe."

Pictured: recruitment consultant Joanna Derkacz. She told her sister around Christmas in 2023 that Sexton had choked her 'until she couldn't breathe'

'She was always the brave one. Joanna was a very strong person and wanted to handle everything herself.

'I trusted her to make her own decisions and that's the biggest mistake of my life.'

When asked why she had not immediately reported the incident to the police, Arleta explained that she and her sister had not had 'an easy childhood' and that she had witnessed domestic violence 'a few times'.

She said: 'I was so scared you were going to ask me that. My life and Joanna's life wasn't easy. This happened in my family quite often.

'Joanna was fine putting up with it [the alleged strangling from Sexton] because she was used to it.

'We were so used to it, that's why I didn't react [when her sister said Sexton strangled her].

'I have seen it a few times in my life. If she had told somebody else who hasn't seen it they might have reacted.'

Arleta also said she thought incidents between her sister and Sexton were just 'arguments'.

Sexton, 39, is on trial for the coercive control, rape and murder of his girlfriend, 37-year-old Derkacz

'I thought it was just an argument', she said.

'I was obviously angry and upset but I didn't cross it over with what he did.

'I heard him raise his voice a few times. I heard the way he talked about his ex-wife and the way he spoke to his son.

'If I had been smarter and connected the dots I might have had a picture of him sooner.'

Arleta added that she had offered to help her sister move out, saying: 'I even offered her money to move out but she wouldn't take it.

'She wanted to stay because she liked the house. Stephen had already paid rent and he had nowhere to go so it wasn't fair to make him leave.

'You would have to know Joanna. She had a big heart.'

Arleta then went on to describe how much she missed her sister.

She said: 'Even when people ask what I miss the most about her, it is when we would fall out and not speak and then speak again.

'It's like in a relationship. When you tell each other you love each other again, it's like you fall in love again.'

On Monday, Arleta had also told the court how her sister 'wanted to achieve something in her life, to buy a house, and have a family'.

Sexton denies all offences against Joanna Derkacz, who was a recruitment consultant.

Prosecutors allege he strangled her to death under his forearm or in the crook of his elbow shortly after midnight at their home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, on December 28, 2023.

On December 28, 2023, Arleta previously told the court how she went with her partner to Ms Derkacz's home in Waterlooville, because she wasn't returning her calls.

Arleta said Sexton appeared 'petrified' and had 'dead eyes' when she arrived at the home he shared with her sister.

She told the court how she pushed past Sexton to discover Ms Derkacz's 'grey', lifeless body on her bed, having allegedly been choked to death by her partner of three years.

Arleta told jurors that when she came downstairs, she saw Sexton holding a 'big kitchen knife', and that she thought he said 'I'm sorry' as she ran out of the house, shouting 'you killed my sister'.

The jury heard her tell detectives: 'I just saw my sister being dead. He had nothing to lose - he'd just killed my sister. He could have followed me upstairs and stabbed me.'

The court heard she was pulled out of the house by her partner. She said she was 'petrified' and 'didn't look back'.

Prosecutors previously said that in the moments after murdering Ms Derkacz, Sexton contacted sex workers because he was 'aroused'.

Jurors were told he contacted two prostitutes immediately after the murder, taking Ms Derkacz's car to visit one after sending a message saying 'I'll be there in 20 minutes ok baby.'

Sexton denies murder, rape, and coercive or controlling behaviour at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire.

The trial continues.

Poundland could disappear from the High Street within days as Andy Burnham asks questions over how its owners handled a sales process.

Thousands of nervous staff are waiting to hear what will happen to the discount retailer after it filed a notice to appoint administrators with the High Court today.

This will give the business, bought by US investment firm Gordon Brothers for less than £1 last year, some breathing room – ten days – to find a rescue deal. AlixPartners is poised to take over a potential insolvency process.

But the Poundland brand and its 600 shops will not be sold as a whole, leading to a carve-up of the 36-year old retailer, meaning jobs are at risk at any shops that are not bought.

And on Thursday night, the Prime Minister said he is ready to demand answers from owners amid a 'deeply worrying time' for staff and their families.

Burnham told The Telegraph: 'We want to see jobs protected. If there was a potential owner to avoid this that hasn’t been accepted, then the Business Secretary and I want to know why that is the case.'

Battle for survival: The fate of Poundland's near 12,000 staff hangs in the balance.

It would mark the biggest high street collapse since Debenhams closed its doors in 2021 with the loss of 12,000 jobs.

Job losses could hit 600 shops and a distribution centre in Makerfield, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s constituency, which employs around 270 people.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds also said he was ‘very much concerned’ and would push for answers as workers and bosses seethe over its failure to find a buyer.

He told The Telegraph: ‘If it is true that it was not necessary to put the business into administration then the present owners will have to account for that.’

Why has Poundland struggled?

Chains like Poundland are battling shoppers with constrained budgets while costs, such as employing people, have increased – following Government moves to hike wages and employer National Insurance contributions. Savvier shoppers are looking for cheaper online alternatives, including Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop.

Former owners, the Warsaw-listed Pepco Group, made some wrong moves that did not go down well with its customers, including putting Pepco clothing in its shops.

Its most recent woes stem back to last year, when it narrowly avoided collapsing into administration. The chain was sold in June 2025 to US firm Gordon Brothers for a nominal €1 amid 'challenging trading conditions'.

By November 2025, around 100 Poundland shops had been shut or earmarked for closure. Two months later, as part of its radical turnaround plan, Poundland had shut 149 stores with 2,200 job losses.

But this year, Poundland bosses insisted it was turning a corner, pointing to like-for-like sales growth of 3.3 per cent in the three months to September 26.

Poundland's managing director Barry Williams said earlier this month: 'Our recovery plan is working, thanks to our investment in simple low pricing and new ranges, powered by our new in-house teams.'

Why is there a dispute between Poundland’s owners and its bosses?

Both shop workers’ union Usdaw and Poundland’s management have accused Gordon Brothers of mishandling a sales process, which it kicked off at the beginning of September.

The union met with the minister for the future of work, Kate Dearden, on Wednesday, amid warnings of what would be the biggest High Street collapse in years.

Three directors, appointed less than a fortnight ago, this week walked out following a dramatic dispute with owners Gordon Brothers.

Hours later the retailer’s management hit out at the owners, calling the process ‘unexpected, unwanted and avoidable’.

Government adviser David Bickerton is set to ask ‘fairly basic questions of senior people around Poundland’ in order to ‘establish what the situation is,’ on behalf of the business secretary, the Financial Times reported.

What does a notice to appoint administrators mean?

‘Filing a notice of intention isn’t administration itself,’ explains Julie Palmer, managing partner at real estate advisory group BTG.

Instead, it effectively keeps the wolves from the door for up to ten business days of protection and helps the firm preserve cash.

She added: ‘If an appointment follows, the administrators take control of the company from the directors. Their first duty is to try to rescue it as a going concern.

'If that isn’t possible, they aim for a better result for creditors than liquidation would give. In practice that usually means a sale, either of the whole business or in parts. For staff and customers, stores normally keep trading while that happens, but the risk is that the business is broken up, with stronger stores sold and weaker ones closed.’

Who could buy the shops?

Owner Gordon Brothers rejected a takeover offer from Irish real estate firm Martin Property Group – despite management and unions arguing this was the best deal on the table.

This would have been for the whole business, including its brand and full store estate.

But now it seems like other major retailers, especially those with grand expansion plans, could pick up some shops from Poundland.

The owner of The Range, Homebase and Wilko – known as Britain’s ‘Del Boy Billionaire’ – is thought to be interested. Chris Dawson, 74, who runs CDS Superstores, acquired the Wilko brand out of administration in 2023.

Dawson got his nickname, the 'Del Boy billionaire', via the press as a reference to his yellow Lamborghini Urus, which has a personalised number plate 'DE11 BOY', a homage to the character Del Boy Trotter from the classic TV show Only Fools and Horses.

Dawson started his career as a market trader, before founding The Range and scaling it to a major high street chain. He has since acquired Wilko and Homebase out of administration.

Chris Dawson, 74, runs CDS Superstores, which owns The Range, Homebase and Wilko

Poundstretcher owner Fortress is also understood to be looking at buying shops. The rival discount retailer runs more than 300 shops in the UK.

Supermarket Lidl also hopes to be able to snap up some of its stores if the retailer fails to sell the whole company. The discounter is pushing ahead with a major expansion mission.

TG Jones owner is also understood to be interested in buying parts of the Poundland business.

The private equity group owns Britain's WH Smith shops, now known as TG Jones stores and previously bought ailing accessories chain Claire's, Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.

All Claire's standalone shops in the UK and Ireland stopped trading earlier this year after its financial woes saw it fall into administration twice in a year.

Are shops open and will staff be paid?

Poundland shops are currently open and operating business as usual.

But Poundland's managing director Barry Williams wrote a letter to around 12,000, accusing the retailer’s owner of limiting the chain's access to funding.

This has effectively prevented bosses from making routine payments, with suppliers now worried they will not be paid on time this week, according to Sky News.

But sources close to the crisis talks insisted that this should not prevent staff from being paid at the end of the month.

Williams told staff: 'I'm disappointed to have to tell you that Gordon Brothers have given instructions that restricts our access to funds that we would, in normal circumstances expect to access fully under our existing loan agreement.'

Gordon Brothers are accused of breaching the terms of an asset-based lending facility by failing to submit a budget to the shareholders on time despite an agreed grace period – with the business now outperforming those forecasts, Sky News reported.

Julie Palmer, managing partner at real estate advisory group BTG, says that in this situation, ‘existing commitments such as payroll and supplier invoices can still be met from cash already available‘.

But bosses cannot ‘draw further funds to cover anything beyond that,’ she says, which poses a problem as retailers typically draw from these loans in the autumn to buy Christmas stock - before repaying from festive sales in December and January.

She added: ‘If a lender has concerns about longer-term viability, it may simply be unwilling to increase its exposure by funding that stock build, particularly when it can’t be sure who will own the business, or what shape it will be in, by the time the money needs to come back.

‘That leaves management with very little room to manoeuvre. It limits their ability to buy stock or take on new commitments, and puts directors in a difficult position, because they must be confident the company can meet its liabilities before taking on new ones. Once credit insurers pull back and suppliers start asking for payment up front, the squeeze tightens quickly.’