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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Ewan Somerville

Disturbing CCTV shows Megan Newton's last moments as her killer calmly enters her flat before raping and murdering her

Horrifying CCTV shows the final moments of a talented student who was raped and murdered by a teenager who she offered a place to stay after a night out.

Megan Newton, 18, was strangled and stabbed nine times at her bedsit in Fletcher Road in Stoke-on-Trent in April last year.

Moments earlier the aspiring footballer had offered Joseph Trevor, now 19, a place to stay for the night after he claimed he was too drunk and high on drugs to go back to his parents’ house.

Trevor was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years on Monday after he admitted two counts of rape and one count of murder.

In the chilling CCTV footage which has now been released, Trevor can be seen following her into her flat at 3.45am, calmly waiting she unlocks the door before following her inside.

Trevor following Megan into her flat (Staffordshire Police)

Two hours later, the same camera captures the calculated killer slowly leaving - his arm stained with blood - before he discards her front door key in a car park.

Stafford Crown Court heard how Trevor had been arrested earlier in the evening after door staff at Kiln nightclub, Newcastle, found a bag of ketamine on him.

Megan Newton was an aspiring footballer and planned to go to university (Staffordshire Police)

Sports coach Ms Newton had been planning to go to university to become a sports therapist, with hopes of a scholarship in the United States.

When the club closed Trevor, an acquaintance from school, told Ms Newton in the taxi rank that his parents “would go mad” if he arrived home in his drunken state.

Joseph Trevor was jailed for 21 years and 65 days after admitting the rape and murder of Megan Newton (PA)

They took a taxi back to Ms Newton’s flat, where he strangled her and stabbed her in the back nine times.

Adrian Keeling QC, prosecuting, said: “It was not unusual for her to offer to help. It was a typical act of kindness by her but one that cost her her life.

“At some point in the next 90 minutes, the defendant had sex with her, strangled her unconscious and stabbed her to death – it is uncertain in which order.”

He added there was “no evidence the deceased was sexually attracted” to Trevor, although he would later lie telling police he awoke to find her having sex with him.

Megan Newton was stabbed nine times and strangled by Trevor (PA)

She was strangled unconscious but “probably alive”, when Trevor got a knife from her kitchen, repeatedly stabbing her with such force some of the blows reached her lungs.

Afterwards, a “remarkably composed” Trevor left the flat only to find the exit to the housing complex was locked.

He returned to Ms Newton’s flat, walking past his victim who he had left in “utter indignity” on her bed, to get the key allowing him to leave.

He then threw the blood-stained fob away.

Trebor's defence barrister Tim Hannum told the court his client had shown remorse for the “tragedy”, in which “two young lives had been destroyed”.

After the sentencing Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Cheryl Hannan, said: “Trevor carried out a sustained and violent assault on Megan.

"She had kindly offered him a place to stay overnight because he had taken drugs and had been stopped by police and was worried about returning home.

“In return he attacked and killed her and left her lying in her own bed while he let himself out and told no-one what he had done.

“Megan was a young and gifted teenager who through hard work and dedication had achieved so much with opportunities to achieve so much more.

“Trevor’s actions have taken this away from Megan and the chance for her family to see her continue to thrive as a woman who they were rightly so proud of.”

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