Megan Newton

"Some people say,"Train your mind to see the good in everything!" I say, "Train your mind to see the truth in everything!" Good and evil will always exist. However , when we condition ourselves to see only the good , we tip the balance by leaving the door open for evil to rise."

-David Roppo

It was the 20th of April 2019. A Saturday. Eighteen year old Megan Newton was a smart and ambitious girl. She lived in a small apartment in Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom. Megan worked as a youth football coach which was a great career for her as she loved sports. She wanted to be the first person in her family to go to University and hoped to study physiotherapy or sports therapy. Megan hoped to get a scholarship to study in the United States.  

Megan

Even in her free time, Megan loved to get involved in other sports activities. She volunteered for some other football clubs and fundraised to raise money for their match kits.

Megan

That day, the 20th of April, Megan was working at her part time job at a fish and chip shop. It was around 10.20pm when she finished work. She went home to get changed and went out again. She wanted to meet some friends for a night out. She arrived at the pub at 11pm and then they went on to a nightclub. Megan had a really great night and loved showing her new tattoo to friends. 

When the nightclub closed, Megan headed to the taxi rank in the town centre. It was around 3.45am. There were a number of people waiting for a taxi. One of the people waiting was nineteen year old Joseph Trevor. Megan knew Joseph from school and they started speaking about the night . Joseph had been out with friends too, he went to a pub first and ended up in the same nightclub as Megan. Joseph was a semi professional footballer so they had plenty to talk about as they both loved sports.

Joseph

Joseph told Megan that he was afraid to go home. He drank a lot that night and took drugs. He had also been stopped by police and had a bag of ketamine confiscated from him. Megan told him he could stay at her apartment. It was the kind of thing Megan always did. She was always keen to help others. Joseph's father, a retired police officer, sent him a text to see where he was and Joseph told him he was staying with a male friend.

CCTV of Joseph and Megan getting into taxi

Joseph and Megan got into a taxi and they arrived at her apartment around 4am. CCTV showed them going into the apartment and they were talking and everything seemed fine.

CCTV of Joseph and Megan entering apartment block

But ninety minutes later, Joseph was seen on CCTV leaving Megan's apartment. CCTV showed him throwing away keys after leaving the apartment block.

CCTV of Joseph leaving Megan's apartment

A few hours later, Megan's neighbours found keys outside the block. They were covered in blood. They were concerned for Megan's welfare so they entered her apartment. Megan was naked on the bed in her bedroom. She was dead.

Megan had been raped, both anally and vaginally. She had been strangled and stabbed in the back nine times. 

Megan

After Megan's body was found, Joseph told friends that he had done something bad and he was arrested and charged with rape and murder. Joseph said that they had consensual sex and then his memory went blank. CCTV footage showed him entering and then leaving Megan's apartment. He looked calm as he walked away of his own accord and had blood on his hands. He was also seen throwing away the keys. 

 At the Trial, on the first day, Joseph pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one of murder. Over the course of ninety minutes, he raped Megan, both vaginally and anally, strangled her and stabbed her. It was determined he used his bare hands to strangle her and she was strangled for 15-30 seconds at a minimum. She was strangled until she became unconscious. Megan was stabbed nine times in the neck area of the back. 

Joseph

The Prosecutor in the case said Megan  had been strangled unconscious but was "probably alive" when Joseph stabbed her. Every stab was inflicted with such force that some reached her lungs. 

Megan with her mother and grandparents

The Court heard that Joseph had been accused of rape previously, when he was just fifteen years old. However no charges were brought against him and he was never prosecuted. Joseph said he killed Megan because she apologised for telling people he had raped a girl.Joseph was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of twenty two years.

 The night out had been a fun night for Megan. She would have believed there was no danger inviting Joseph to stay the night at her apartment. To her, he was just another school friend. She saw him regularly on nights out and around the area and knew his friends. He was no stranger. Witnesses described Trevor as being fine that night albeit he was loud and annoying at times. There was no indication that night that he had more sinister thoughts in mind. This wasn't a premeditated attack. He met Megan by chance at the taxi rank and the only reason he was in her apartment was because in an act of kindness, she offered him a place to stay when he told her he was afraid to go home. There is no doubt that his attack was sexually motivated in nature. His calm demeanour when he left Megan's apartment shows just how little he thought of her and the life he stole from her and her family.