Murder suspect live-streamed cat killing
Defendant accused of striking fatal blow to Jorge Martin Carreno had ‘an extreme interest in death’
A WOMAN who live-streamed herself killing a cat four months before she allegedly murdered a man had watched a similar scenario unfold on the Netflix documentary Don’t F--- with Cats, a court has heard.
Scarlet Blake, 25, is accused of attacking Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, as he walked home from a night out in Oxford in July 2021.
His body was later found at the Parsons Pleasure bathing spot in the river Cherwell, having received what appeared to be a blow to the back of his head and then having drowned.
Oxford Crown Court heard it took two years for investigators to realise that Carreno did not die from an accident or by taking his own life, but had been attacked by Ms Blake.
Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, told the jury: “He died because he encountered the defendant on that night. He died because he met a person who had a fixation with violence and with knowing what it would feel like to kill someone.
“At a time when Mr Carreno became separated from friends and perhaps lost and vulnerable, he had the great misfortune of being approached by this defendant in the early hours on July 25 2021.
“The defendant was out on the streets of Oxford that night looking for a victim. She targeted him and took him to Parsons Pleasure, where she killed him, leaving his body to be discovered by others over 24 hours later.”
The prosecutor explained how months before the alleged murder, Ms Blake had live-streamed the killing and dissection of a cat. The court heard she used food and a crate to capture the cat before taking it home and killing it.
“The prosecution alleges that this defendant had an extreme interest in death and in harm,” she told the jury.
“It was an interest that went beyond mere fantasy. She described herself to others as being someone who derived sexual gratification from the thought of violence.
“She spoke to others about what it would be like to kill someone. She looked at imagery and saved it on her devices that showed an interest in ligatures being applied around the neck. She talked about harming herself.”
Mr Morgan added: “The defendant’s actions towards the cat show planning, in particular the purchasing of equipment necessary to do what she wanted to do to this cat, and demonstrated a fixation with what it would feel like to cause harm to others.
“They reveal her grotesque pleasure in causing harm to a cat.”
The prosecutor told how the cat was dissected over the video as the song
True Faith by New Order played in the background.
The court heard that after killing and dissecting the cat, the defendant skinned it and put it in a blender.
Blake then “boasted” about the killing to others and “her desire to open up a person like her ‘little cat friend’”.
Ms Morgan continued: “This is not simply about killing a defenceless animal. Its relevance to this trial is the defendant’s overall demeanour. The footage shows her to be someone who had a disturbing interest in what it would be like to harm a living creature. What it would feel like to cause suffering before taking a life away.”
The court heard that Ms Blake watched a Netflix documentary called
Don’t F--- with Cats in which a man kills kittens before filming the murder of a human to the same New Order song.
Jurors were shown videos of Ms Blake, who was previously known as Alice Wang, engaging in consensual strangulation with her partner.
The court also heard Ms Blake had allegedly discussed Carreno’s murder with her partner.
Referring to being in the company of a man, Ms Blake messaged her, saying: “Last time I found someone this drunk they died lol.”
Ms Blake, of Oxford, denies murder. The trial continues.
‘She described herself to others as being someone who derived sexual gratification from the thought of violence’ ‘The footage shows her to be someone who had a disturbing interest in what it would be like to harm a living creature’