Man who murdered his girlfriend in Peru is convicted in landmark case

Bully who murdered his girlfriend by throttling her with a bungee cord during their holiday in Peru is convicted of killing her in landmark legal case

• Jorge Garay was convicted of murdering his girlfriend in a landmark case
• The ‘jealous’ killer buried his girlfriend’s body in his grandmother’s garden  

A ‘jealous’ bully who murdered his girlfriend while on holiday in Peru has been convicted in a landmark trial. 

Jorge Garay, 46, strangled his girlfriend Karla Godoy, 37, with a bungee cord before burying her in a ‘makeshift grave’ in his grandmother’s garden.  

The killer admitted wrapping his girlfriend’s body in a plastic sheet after throttling her during an argument.  

He has now been convicted of murder at Maidstone Crown Court under new laws that let UK courts try domestic abusers, even if their crimes are carried out abroad. 

The landmark case is believed to be the first brought forward under Section 72 of the Domestic Abuse Act of 2021, which expanded British courts’ powers. 

Jorge Garay, 46, (left) throttled his Karla Godoy, 37, (right) with a bungee cord before burying her body in his grandmother’s garden

Karla Godoy’s (pictured) worried family reported her disappearance to police after she failed to board a flight to Madrid  

A jury Maidstone Crown Court found Garay unanimously guilty after deliberating for seven hours. 

The court heard Garay wrapped a bungee-type cord around Ms Godoy’s neck twice, before applying pressure from behind to asphyxiate her. 

READ MORE: ‘Controlling bully’ confessed in recorded phone call to killing his girlfriend while they were on holiday in Peru and then burying her body at his grandmother’s house, landmark trial hears 

The jury was told that it takes 15 to 30 seconds for a person to lose consciousness from continuous pressure around the neck.

That pressure then has to continue for at least a minute to cause death, prosecutor Philip Bennetts KC said. 

Jurors were told the 46-year-old murdered the mother-of-one following a jealous argument over her ex-partner. 

Mr Bennetts told the jury: ‘There is no dispute that this defendant killed his then partner Karla Godoy.

‘Although it’s not necessary to prove motive, the evidence that you will hear in part suggests that this defendant was a bullying, controlling and jealous man.

‘One of the factors that made him jealous was when Karla was going to see her daughter who lived with her ex-partner.

‘Karla was due to travel on September 23 to see her daughter. She did not make that journey.’

Garay said in a police statement: ‘Something crazy came over me. I grabbed her with the elastic/string. She was still kicking me, saying let me go b******, insulting me.

‘I shouted shut up, shut up. I was mad…I can’t remember what happened at this moment, not exactly. I know I was angry that she was trying to kill me..’

The killer then made the four-mile journey to his grandmother’s house on the outskirts of Peru’s capital city, Lima, where he buried her in a shallow grave. 

Having missed her pre-booked flight to Madrid that same day, Godoy’s worried family reported her disappearance to police.

Garay meanwhile lied to his own mother when she asked about his fiancee’s whereabouts, telling her Ms Godoy had ‘boarded the plane and gone on a trip’. 

He then flew back to the UK on October 1, three days earlier than originally planned and before her body was found. He was arrested in London two weeks later. 

The trial heard police in Peru had spoken to Garay, who lived and worked with Ms Godoy in Dartford, Kent, on October 12 when he admitted killing her but claimed he had acted in self-defence.

Garay was born in Peru but became a Spanish citizen before coming to the UK in November 2020. 

Jorge Garay wrapped Karla Godoy’s (pictured) body in a plastic sheet before making the four-mile trip to his grandmother’s house on the outskirts of Lima 

Jorge Garay buried his girlfriend’s body in a makeshift grave in the garden of a property owned by his grandmother

Ms Godoy had been born in Honduras but later obtained Spanish citizenship having moved there in 2006. She came to the UK in December 2020.

The jury heard the couple had met in 2021 and started living together in April that year. They both worked for Pioneer FM facilities management. 

Garay did not give evidence to the jury.   

Edmund Burge KC, representing Garay, said while he accepted ‘how, when and where’ Ms Godoy died, he had not intended to kill her or cause really serious harm as he defended himself. 

Garay will be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on July 28 and members of the victim’s family are expected to watch the sentencing from Spain and Peru via video link. 

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector, Lee Neiles, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: ‘Karla Godoy’s life was violently cut short by a man she trusted during what was supposed to be a holiday for the couple.

‘Garay’s actions not only ended her life but he tried to cover up his crimes by callously disposing of her body and hiding it in a makeshift grave.

‘Karla leaves behind a young daughter who now faces growing up without her mum and leaves a family without their daughter, sister and aunt.

‘Despite Garay’s initial confession to Karla’s family, he pleaded not guilty and instead chose to put her family through the ordeal of a trial, where details were heard that no family should have to listen to.

‘This was a complex case which involved working with international police forces, agencies and prosecuting authorities and I’m pleased we have been able to secure this conviction and hope it offers some justice for Karla and her family.’

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