Dartford man convicted of the murder of his girlfriend in Peru

A man who strangled and buried his partner while on holiday in Peru has been found guilty of her murder.

Jorge Garay, 46, of Hythe Street, Dartford, killed 37-year-old Karla Godoy between 21 September and 2 October.

Garay has been found guilty of her murder at the end of a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

He is due to be sentenced on 28 July at the same court.

Garay had killed Ms Godoy before wrapping her body in a tarpaulin and burying her in a makeshift grave on land owned by his family in the Peruvian capital Lima, Kent Police said.

The couple had travelled to Peru via Spain, having left the UK on 15 September 2022, a police spokesman said.

Ms Godoy's family, who live in Honduras and Spain, last heard from her on 23 September 2022, when she confirmed her plans to travel to Spain the following day, however the mother-of-one did not arrive, he said.

Garay returned to the UK on 4 October 2022 alone and told his landlord Ms Godoy had stayed in Spain. He also claimed his money and ID had been stolen while he was away.

The Kent Police spokesman said: "On 12 October Garay was reported to have made a confession via a telephone conversation in which he confessed to murdering Karla and claimed they had argued and he had acted in self-defence.

"On the same day Karla's body was located by Peruvian authorities in the garden as described. She had been strangled and had to be identified through fingerprints."

Garay was arrested two days later.

Libby Clark from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Garay claimed that he killed Karla in self-defence during an argument, after she came at him with a knife, but the evidence from those who witnessed his behaviour towards her suggested he was a bullying, controlling and jealous man.

"The jury saw through those lies."

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