A cat killer was jailed for a minimum term of 24 years today after murdering a man she deliberately targeted as part of a warped sexual fantasy inspired by a Netflix documentary.
Scarlet Blake, 26, who is transgender, singled out BMW worker Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, as he walked home from a night out in Oxford in July 2021, before brutally attacking him.
She led him to a secluded riverbank, where he was hit on the back of the head with a vodka bottle, strangled and then pushed into the River Cherwell where he drowned.
Jailing Scarlet Blake for life with a minimum term of 24 years, Mr Justice Chamberlain said the defendant had intended to kill Jorge Martin Carreno although he could not be sure of the exact method used.
‘It is not possible to say exactly how, whether you hit him on the back of his head with a vodka bottle or something else you had in your backpack, then strangled him by applying pressure to the blood vessels just beneath his jaw using your hands or ligature, then putting in the river where he drowned,’ the judge said.
A mugshot issued by Thames Valley Police of Scarlet Blake who was found guilty of murder
Scarlet Blake pictured in Intrusion nightclub in Oxford
BMW worker Mr Carreno (pictured) had been on a night out when he was approached by Blake
The court heard Blake confessed to former partner Ashlynn Bell (pictured), who lives in the US, that she had killed him with a homemade garrotte before throwing his body in the water
Scarlet Blake being led to court for the start of her trial earlier this month
‘You may have held him down in the water while strangling him. Either way, you intended to kill him, and you did.
‘The decision to kill Jorge was not a reaction to something he had said or done – it was not a momentary mistake, it was not a decision made in anger or because your emotions overcame you.
‘It is the culmination of a plan you’ve been considering and formulating for months before, and after July 25 as you showed an obsession with harm and death.’
Mr Justice accused Scarlet Blake of seeking to blame others for the murder – including former partner Ashlynn Bell.
‘You told the court that you didn’t want to kill a living creature, let alone a person, and it was Ashlynn who pressurised you to do so,’ he said.
‘You attributed your morbid interests to a split or dissociative personality, using the language of psychiatry or psychoanalysis.
‘You adopted the persona of a cat. You talked about the difficulties you had had since transitioning in childhood to live as a woman and about your troubled relationship with your parents.
‘All this was part of an elaborate attempt to rationalise what you had done and shift responsibility to others.
‘Whatever role Ashlynn Bell may have played in encouraging your interest in killing, she remained in the US.
‘She did not control or direct you. Even if the decision was motivated in part by a desire to please her, the decision to kill was entirely yours.’
Scarlet Blake, pictured in August last year, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court
A still image from a video issued by police of Scarlet Blake holding a cat head after killing it
An image entitled ‘First date with me’ which showed pictures of duct tape, a knife, rope and a handgun had also been downloaded to the 25-year-old’s phone, the court has previously been told
The judge added that Scarlet Blake had carried out a ‘grotesque act of cruelty towards a cat’ in which it was tortured during an internet livestream and then killed.
‘You suspended the cat by its neck, using a ligature made from ribbon,’ the judge said.
‘But, although you strangled it, you made sure that it remained alive for at least three minutes, during which it endured intense pain while you cut open and eviscerated it, before stabbing, dissecting and removing its heart, which you kept as a memento.
‘As the audio makes clear, the thing you enjoyed most was seeing the animal gasping and panicking before it died.
‘After you had killed the cat, you put a scalpel into its eyes, skinned it and decapitated it. You disposed of the body by putting it into a blender.
‘In your evidence, you told the jury that you did all this to please Ashlynn Bell and derived no pleasure from it yourself.
‘Apparently seriously, you invited the jury to believe that you disapprove of people who are cruel to animals.
‘The audio we all heard and the stills and video clips we saw of you smiling and laughing while posing with the animal’s severed head leave no doubt whatsoever that you personally enjoyed what you were doing, as well as the pleasure that Ashlynn Bell derived from it.
‘Once you had dissected the cat, you said, ‘Well, one day I want to learn how to do this to a person’.’
Passing sentence on Scarlet Blake, Mr Justice Chamberlain said: ‘You decided to kill someone because you believed Ashlynn Bell would find it sexually exciting, as in fact she did.
‘As you later said to another partner, you killed ‘because my lover said it’d be hot’.
‘There was, therefore, a clear sexual motivation for the killing. You also believed that you would derive pleasure, whether sexual or not, from the experience of killing a person.
‘I am sure you did derive pleasure from killing Jorge, as you had from killing the cat.
‘You revelled in what you had done, returning at least twice to the scene to take photographs, and made conscious use of your status as a murderer to secure the admiration of others who shared your interests in harm, death and killing.
‘There is very little that can be said in mitigation, though I have borne in mind the fact that you were 23 years old at the time of the offence.’
Prosecutors said Blake, who is transgender, killed Mr Martin Carreno because she had a ‘fixation with violence and with knowing what it would be like to kill someone’.
His murder came four months after Blake – who was obsessed with violence and death – live-streamed the sadistic killing of a cat, Oxford Crown Court heard.
She was given a four months sentence after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. The sentence will run concurrently.
Blake told the family pet: ‘Here we go my little friend. Oh boy, you smell like s**t. I can’t wait to put through the blender.’
After the violent killing, she dissected the animal, removed its fur and skin, and placed its body in a blender.
During the horrific video, the New Order song True Faith plays in the background, which the court heard was in homage to the Netflix documentary ‘Don’t F*** With Cats’, in which a man kills kittens before filming the murder of a human.
Blake ‘boasted’ about the killing with others and ‘her desire to open up a person like her ‘little cat friend”.
Today, Blake sat impassively in the dock as Mr Martin Carreno’s brother Geraldo read out a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing.
Flanked by his twin brother and girlfriend, Geraldo said his brother’s life ‘was stolen for he own sexual pleasure’.
He continued: ‘There is no remorse for her actions and makes even more difficult to process the barbarity. We miss him every day and thinking about his life if he had not met Blake that night.’
Blake stalked and killed 30-year-old Jorge Martin Carreno (pictured) in July 2021
Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, told the jury: ‘He died because he encountered the defendant on that night’
CCTV footage shows Scarlet Blakes movements on the night she killed Mr Carreno
Jurors have been shown CCTV camera footage of Mr Carreno and Blake’s movements around the city centre hours before his death
Geraldo said the death of their brother had shattered the family, adding: ‘We were born together, we were best friends.
‘He was always spreading joy with a great sense of humour and above all an incredibly good person. A life full of love.
Geraldo added: ‘Jorge Carreno is the victim. For us, he is a son and brother, we share a unique bond. We are triplets, born together, live together, we are best friends.
‘With his caring and friendly nature he was always spreading joy. His great sense of humour and joy of life.
‘He was known for his incredible affection. He was always ready to help. He was an incredibly good person. His life was full of love.
‘He studied electrical engineering where his passion was evident, he dreamed of a future where he could make a difference.
‘Going through the pain of losing a son and a brother is a challenge no family should face. His life was stolen by Scarlet. The last two years have felt like an eternity. It’s been sleepless nights and days.
‘We ask you to understand the full extent of our loss. We hope the justice served today with reflect the loss we’ve suffered.
‘Scarlet Blake has no remorse, making it more difficult for us to process. Knowing she has taken the life of Jorge for her own sexual conviction. It’s difficult to know. It was chilling to hear her in this court, her lack of empathy is evident.’
Mr Martin Carreno’s mother Carmen read out her impact statement in Spanish, which was translated in the courtroom by an interpreter.
She said: ‘We wish to pay tribute to our beloved son and brother. An exceptional child with his friendliness and ability to give himself to others.
The court heard Blake had an ‘extreme interest in death and in harm’ and killed the family pet after watching the Netflix documentary ‘Don’t F*** With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer’
In the show, a man films himself putting two kittens in a translucent plastic storage bag before he switched on a vacuum cleaner and sucked out all the air
‘He dreamed of a future where he will make a difference. His sense of humour filled every space and with his caring nature lit up any place with his contagious curiosity.
‘Jorge was above all an incredibly good person. His loss an open wound in his family. His loss has left a void impossible to fill. We have a deep wound in our hearts with his life stolen.’
She continued: ‘There can be no peace until justice is served and Jorge will always be present in our hearts.’
Also speaking ahead of the sentencing was prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, who said the death of Mr Martin Carreno had been ‘sexually motivated’ and ‘gratuitous’.
She told the court: ‘We submit this is a murder which involves sexual conduct due to the particular manner the defendant chose to kill the deceased.
‘It’s accepted there is no evidence of a sexual assault. However, we respectfully invite the court to conclude that the act of strangulation was an act of a sexual nature.
‘Having selected an action of that type… it was an act undertaken because it was associated by her with sexual gratification.’
Ms Morgan said sexual motivation and gratification were a significant aggravating feature of the murder and said it was on the ‘high scale’ of sentencing.
Blake sat with her arms crossed showing no emotion as the prosecutor spoke, and stared directly ahead at the judge Mr Justice Chamberlain KC.
Ms Morgan said Blake had derived sexual pleasure from the cat mutilation and murder of Carreno.
She told the court: ‘We do submit it’s an aggravated feature that the defendant was fully aware of the death and evaded arrest for two years and derived pleasure from linking these events to her own sexual enjoyment and taking pictures of the crime scene and boasting to others.
‘The evidence of the cat we say is an aggravating offence…it shows her demeanour of causing violence and harm to others.
‘There are no obvious mitigating features in this case. She has shown no remorse for her actions and has shown a clear intention to kill. This was a murder involving sexual conduct.’
Defence counsel Richard Sutton KC told the court that Blake would be sentenced to life in prison.
He went on: ‘She is in one sense a dangerous person if she persists (with this) lifestyle she has chosen and no parole board will let her back into society. She may be retained for the rest of her life.’
He said the evidence did not support a sexual motive for the murder.
Mr Sutton accepted the starting point for sentence would be 15 years, but added that the background to the murder could mean a higher figure was imposed.
A still image from a clip issued by Thames Valley Police of Scarlet Blake in a cat killing video
Prosecutors say Blake had a fetish for strangulation and was obsessed with violence and death. Jurors were previously shown a collage of nine female killers that was saved on Blake’s phone
Witness Ashlynn Bell told police that she was too mentally damaged to give evidence in court
He said: ‘We would submit the starting point in 15 years but the background will justify an increase to a higher… clearly… it’s not conduct which should be encouraged and the court needs to show its disapproval to this kind of behaviour.
Mr Sutton said it was clear Blake got sexual satisfaction from what was going on but said there was ‘no gore or sexual conduct in the murder’, adding: ‘The motive was not sexual but to impress those involved,’
Mr Sutton claimed that Mr Martin Carreno was in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ and the murder was not premeditated.
Blake’s mother, who had attended each day of the murder trial, was not present in court.
Three members of jury, including the foreman, returned to court to see Blake sentenced today.
Wearing a black jacket and top, Blake was flanked by four security guards.
The sentencing was filmed and will be released later today after an application by company called Cameras in Court.
Prior to being sentenced for murder, Blake pleaded guilty to the unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The court heard Blake stole a neighbour’s cat called Starlet and chopped it up before putting in a food blender.
During the trial, the prosecution said Blake had an ‘extreme interest in death and in harm’ and got sexual gratification from violence and killings.
Video showed Mr Carreno trying to find his way home, not realising he had dropped his wallet
Blake’s ex-partner Ms Bell (pictured) has a fearsome collection of military-grade weapons and equipment as well as a liking for Nazi memorabilia
Jurors watched a disturbing video of Blake consensually tying a ligature around her then partner’s neck from behind and pulling it tight, until she appears to fall unconscious.
The court heard Mr Martin Carreno had been out with work colleagues in Oxford city centre and was trying to get home when Blake found him sitting down in the street.
She was captured on CCTV prowling the streets of Oxford looking for a victim, wearing a heavy military-style hooded jacket, face mask and carrying a rucksack.
Prosecutors suggested she was carrying a ‘murder kit’ in her rucksack, including a garrotte and leopard print dressing gown cord, which she rejected.
Giving evidence, Blake denied she was looking for a victim that night and instead had gone for a walk because she could not sleep.
She said she walked with Mr Martin Carreno to Parsons Pleasure and when she left to go home he was still alive.
‘I don’t know how he died. I assumed he drowned. It wasn’t something I did. As to how, I still don’t know, I wasn’t there,’ she told the jury.
It was suggested Mr Martin Carreno may have taken his own life, but any hint he was suicidal was rejected by his friends.
An empty bottle of vodka was found in the river and the bottle top was nearby on the bank, which had traces of the defendant’s DNA on it.
Home Office pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer said he did not believe it likely the Spanish national could have died accidentally.
Mr Carreno sat down in Radcliffe Square, where Blake later found him and shared her vodka
The court heard Blake confessed to former partner Ashlynn Bell, who lives in the US, that she had killed him with a homemade garrotte before throwing his body in the water.
She told jurors she had made up the details of the killing because Miss Bell wanted her to kill someone after making her live-stream the killing of the cat.
‘I wasn’t interested or willing – it was an awful thought to me,’ she said.
‘In the interest of keeping her happy, because I wanted her to kill me one day, because it’s sexually stimulating for me, that idea.
‘She was wanting to make me do this thing and I was pretty much, well, at a limit, after going through the killing of the cat.’
During her evidence Blake claimed she had a fragmented personality, which included being a cat, and meowed at the jury to show how she would interact with friends.
‘There’s a part that is just a cat, which is strange and that seems to me what the happy part of me is. In that they come out when I am happy,’ she said.
‘With friends I know quite well, who are aware of this part of me, I meow at them in greeting.
‘It is quite strange, it is very prominent when I am expressing certain emotions.
‘For example, the cat has a pretty strong association with joy, and I suppose the innate goodness. It is a kind of childhood innocence.’
Chilling CCTV shows Blake walking the streets of Oxford city centre looking for a victim
The defendant, from Oxford, showed no emotion as she was convicted of murder last Friday after about around six hours of deliberations.
As she left the dock she smiled briefly towards the public gallery.
Ms Morgan said last week that the Crown would be inviting the court to impose a minimum prison term starting at 30 years, because it was ‘a murder involving sexual or sadistic conduct’.
In a statement afterwards, Mr Martin Carreno’s family paid tribute to ‘our beloved son and brother’.
‘The loss of Jorge has left an open wound in the heart of his family but also in all those who had the pleasure of knowing him,’ they said.
‘There can be no peace until justice is served. We ask not only for justice for him but also for protection to prevent other people, other families, from suffering the immense pain caused by such cruel and senseless murders.’
Detective Superintendent Jon Capps, who led the investigation, described the case as ‘truly disturbing’.
‘This defendant showed calculated cruelty. The acts Blake has been convicted of are barbaric and chilling. The murder was premeditated with total disregard and disdain for life,’ he said. ‘There can be no beginning to understanding this senseless act.’