Scarlet Blake singled out stranger Jorge Martin Carreno as he walked home from a night out, four months after she live-streamed the sadistic killing of her family’s pet cat.

A cat killer obsessed with violence and death who murdered a man she deliberately targeted before brutally attacking him and leaving him to drown in a river, has been jailed for life.

Scarlet Blake singled out Jorge Martin Carreno as he walked home from a night out in Oxford in July 2021. She led him to a secluded riverbank where he was hit to the back of the head with a vodka bottle, strangled and then pushed into the River Cherwell where the 30-year-old drowned, Oxford Crown Court heard. Today, she was sentenced for life with the minimum term of 24 years.

Prosecutors said Blake, 26, killed the BMW worker because she had a “fixation with violence and with knowing what it would be like to kill someone”. His murder came four months after she live-streamed the sadistic killing of a cat. Blake told the family pet: “Here we go my little friend. Oh boy, you smell like shit. I can’t wait to put through the blender.”

Following the brutal event, Blake performed a ghastly dissection on the creature, stripped off its pelt, and blended it. A soundtrack permeating the unnerving video was the New Order tune, True Faith, a gesture towards a Netflix documentary named Don’t F**k with Cats, where a man partakes in the slaughter of kittens, later filming a human murder.

The court was told during the proceedings that Mr. Martin Carreno was attempting to return home after spending time with his work associates in Oxford’s city center when Blake discovered him on the street. Blake was spotted on CCTV footage lurking around Oxford, concealed beneath a bulky military-style hooded coat, a face mask, and a backpack.

The prosecution proposed that what she held in her rucksack could be considered a “murder kit”, consisting of items like a garrotte and a leopard print dressing gown cord, an idea she dismissed. Blake testified that she hadn’t been out to find a victim that night but had been unable to sleep and went for a walk. She recounted how she and Mr. Martin Carreno went to Parsons Pleasure and she left him there alive, to return home.

“I have no knowledge of how he passed away. I surmised that he may have drowned. It wasn’t by my hand. The specifics of how are still unknown to me, I wasn’t present,” were her words to the jury. The notion of Mr. Carreno committing suicide was proposed, but such a suggestion was disavowed by his associates. An empty vodka bottle discovered in the river and a bottle cap found on the riverside showed traces of the accused’s DNA.

Home Office pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer stated his disbelief that the Spanish national’s death was accidental. He dismissed the idea that death occurred instantly post strangulation with a wide ligature or neck hold, concluding the cause was drowning.

The trial discussed Blake’s confession to her ex-partner, Ashlynn Bell from the US, where she claimed to have assassinated Mr Martin Carreno with a makeshift garrotte prior to disposing his body in water. She informed the jury that the described crime scene was fabricated to appease Miss Bell, who had coerced her to commit a murder after forcing her to broadcast a cat’s killing live.

“The concept was horrific and I was certainly disinclined. To satisfy her and in hopes that she might end my life someday, as this was sexually arousing for me. She persuaded me into doing this after the gruesome cat killing marked my patience verge,” she testified.

During her testimony, Blake admitted to having a disintegrated personality, including feeling like a cat, and mewed to the jury as a demonstration of her method of communication with her acquaintances. “A component of me is purely cat-like, which is peculiar and seemingly represents the brighter aspect of me. It surfaces when I am joyous,” she added.

Today, defense arguments attempted to suggest that the assault was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The prosecution appealed to the legal authority of the session to perceive the attack as sexual motivation. The prosecuting attorney, Alison Morgan KC, conveyed, “We suggest that the nature of the murder was sexually inclined, given the specific fashion in which the perpetrator decided to execute the victim. We agree that there seems to be no evidence of sexual violation. Still, we respectfully request the court to determine if the act of asphyxiation was sexually intended.”

“The defendant chose this particular approach, as suggested by Dr. Lockyer’s findings. The court should classify this as an unnecessary act though it did not directly cause death.”

In response to Blake’s conviction, the Clarke family issued a statement, “We, as a family, wish to honor our dear son and brother, Jorge. He was truly a unique individual filled with ardor and empathy. Jorge was more than a role model child; he was a remarkable person. He was well-known for his inherent warmth, hospitality, and selflessness. Jorge’s natural curiosity and creativity urged him to search, comprehend, and tirelessly theorize.

“He pursued a degree in electrical engineering, demonstrating undying dedication and fervor in every project, showcasing deep engagement in innovation. He implored a future where he can make an impact with his abilities and of aspirations, hoping to construct an improved world. His life was steeped in a deep appreciation for music, the field of photography, literary works, and athletic endeavors. He was exceedingly skillful when it came to guitar and radiated warmth and humor among those fortunate enough to know him. As a triplet, Jorge shared a deep bond with his brothers, whom he considered his best friends. He was dearly loved by his friends.”

“He had an affable heart and sense of humour that filled every space with laughter and complicity. Jorge, with his caring and friendly nature, lit up any place, always spreading joy with his wit and contagious curiosity. With a great sense of humour, his immense desire to live and enjoy life made him a special being. Always ready to help and listen to others; he was above all, an incredibly good person.”

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