Missing Polish mother was dismembered and buried in bin bags by partner, court hears
It was learned that the Polish mother, who had been missing for about 15 years, was killed by her girlfriend, dismembered and put in garbage bags.
Jurors were told that Anna Podedworna, 40, tried to cover up the murder of Izabela Zablocka with a series of “deliberate, calculated, horrific and time-consuming actions” after killing her in 2010.
Podedworna, who the court heard had a “stormy and turbulent” relationship with Ms Zablocka, is charged with murder between 27 August and 1 October 2010, obstructing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice between 27 August 2010 and 2 June 2025.
The defendant, of Boyer Street, Derby, wearing a gray sweatshirt and black glasses, listened to the defendants with the help of a Polish interpreter as prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC opened the case at Derby Crown Court on Thursday.
Mr Aspden told the jury of seven women and five men that Ms Zablocka, who was 30 at the time of her “violent death”, grew up in Trzebiatow in north-west Poland.
She said: “Izabela married a Polish man in her early 20s and gave birth to a daughter they named Katarzyna.
“Unfortunately, the marriage between Izabela and her husband did not last long, they separated and soon Izabela had sexual intercourse with this defendant, Anna Podedworna.”
The jury heard that the two women rented a flat together in Poland before moving to England to look for work in 2009, and first lived in London before moving to a small terraced house in Normanton, Derby.
According to the court, both Ms. Zablocka and the defendant worked at a poultry factory called Cranberry Foods.
The jury heard that after a telephone conversation with her mother on August 28, 2010, Ms Zablocka’s family, including her daughter who still lives in Poland, never heard from her again.
Mr Aspden said: “The Crown’s case is that shortly after Izabela’s last phone call to her mother, the defendant Anna Podedworna murdered her.
“After doing this, he dismembered Izabela’s body by cutting it in half with a large knife, bound it with electrical tape, placed these now bloody human remains in black plastic garbage bags, and buried them in the backyard.
“A hard concrete section was then laid over top to hide Izabela’s filthy, makeshift grave.”
The prosecutor added: “The defendant’s post-murder cover-up involved a series of deliberate, calculated, gruesome and time-consuming actions which he carried out with determination and determination over several days.
“Only he now knows exactly how and why the defendant killed Izabela and, for obvious reasons, he will never reveal.”
The court heard Ms Zablocka’s family reported her missing to UK police in November 2010 before contacting Polish authorities in January 2011.
When the police spoke to Podedworna, he told them he did not know where Ms. Zablocka was. Mr Aspden said it was “a complete lie and a continuation of the post-murder cover-up”.
The prosecutor said “increasing pressure” caused Podedworna to “crack” when a Polish television journalist flew to England to interview him last year.
The woman then emailed Derbyshire Police saying she had evidence and then went to the police station, the court heard.
Mr Aspden said of his interview with police: “The defendant admitted killing Izabela.
“But now, and for the first time, he claimed that Izabela died accidentally during the violent confrontation between them and that she had done nothing but defend herself during that violent confrontation.
“This new and newly made claim of self-defense was yet another lie told by the defendant to hide his crime, cover up the murder, and deceive and deceive those around him.”
The jury heard Zablocka’s remains were found by police in the garden of a property where the women were living together in Princes Street, Normanton.
Podedworna denies all the charges against him.
The trial continues.
