A man who strangled a 20-year-old woman to death during a sex act handed himself into police and told officers “I’ve done something horrible, I’ve killed someone” hours after she died.
Chloe Miazek, of Kemnay, was found dead in a flat in Rosemount Viaduct last November.
Yesterday Mark Bruce, 32, appeared at the High Court in Aberdeen and admitted a charge of culpable homicide.
Advocate Depute Jo McDonald told the court that Miss Miazek, who worked at a Tesco supermarket in Inverurie, had been told to leave Nox nightclub on Justice Mill Lane at about 1.40am on November 3 because she was intoxicated.
The psychology student went to a bus stop on Holburn Street where she met Bruce, who had just left a nearby pub and had earlier that evening drank six pints of lager and around five or six rum and cokes.
The court heard the pair were captured on CCTV walking away hand in hand from the bus stop, and later took a taxi to Bruce’s home address at Rosemount Viaduct.
She was last seen alive on CCTV at about 3am.
Advocate Depute Jo McDonald told the court that Bruce went to a police station near his flat four hours later.
She said he told officers “I’ve done something terrible, I’ve killed someone”, and when asked for clarification, he told them “I’ve strangled her, she’s on the bed”.
Defence advocate Brian McConnachie QC said: “Evidence has been disclosed to the defence from a former partner of Miss Miazek that erotic sexual asphyxiation was something that she was interested in.
“Her former partner always declined.
“I do not want to wish to sound like I am suggesting that she was the author of her own misfortune, but it was a significant factor in this case.
“The accused cannot remember all that happened, but it seems that they had a shared interest in that particular practice.
“There was no intention to kill, and no wicked recklessness to suggest a murderous purpose. “
The court heard it was likely she died in seconds.
Lord Kinclaven deferred sentence until April for background reports.
Following the hearing, Miss Miazek’s family said: “We remain absolutely devastated following the death of our beautiful daughter and sister Chloe.
“She was in the prime of her life and had so much to look forward to and it is difficult for us to comprehend that she is not here with us today.”