Butcher Claims Self-Defence in Girlfriend's Killing with Horse Figurine
A Derby butcher has told a court she killed her girlfriend with a horse figurine in self-defence, then cut the body in two because she lacked the strength to move it whole. Anna Podedworna, 40, is on trial at Derby Crown Court charged with the murder of Izabela Zablocka, her former partner, more than fifteen years ago.
A Fatal Altercation in a Derby Terrace
The jury heard that the pair, both Polish nationals who had moved to the UK, were in a sexual relationship and shared a terraced house in Normanton, Derby. They worked together at Cranberry Foods, a poultry factory in Scropton. Ms Zablocka, aged 30, ceased contact with her family in August 2010, prompting the long investigation that led to the discovery of her remains in 2025 and the current trial.
Giving evidence, Podedworna described the day of Ms Zablocka's death. She alleged that her girlfriend was "angry" because Podedworna had returned home late from work. The defendant claimed Ms Zablocka, who she said regularly drank alcohol, grabbed her, pressed her against a wall, and strangled her until breathing became "difficult".
"She Was Going to Kill Me"
Defence barrister Clive Stockwell KC asked Podedworna what she was thinking during the alleged assault. "That she was going to kill me," Podedworna replied, adding she was "terrified" and believed "that was the end." She told the court she tried to push Ms Zablocka away.
Podedworna further testified that Ms Zablocka had threatened to kill her and held her by the neck in a separate incident two or three weeks prior. "At that time I was scared to be around the house," she said. "I was scared of speaking to her because I did not know what was going on." On the fatal day, her sole desire was for Ms Zablocka to "leave me alone, to let me go."
The Figurine and the Aftermath
The court heard that during the struggle, Podedworna tried to grab Ms Zablocka's neck before seizing a figurine of a horse from a windowsill and striking her with it. After the blow, Podedworna said she checked for a pulse and attempted resuscitation, but found none.
When asked why she did not call emergency services, Podedworna stated she had "no witness" and believed no one would accept she was defending herself. She feared she would "go to prison for the rest of my life." "I was just terrified, I felt fear," she told the jury. "I thought 'I will bury her'. I took the decision I would bury her in the garden."
The Dismemberment and Burial
Podedworna, a skilled butcher whose work involved "skinning, deboning, and portioning out turkey carcasses using a large knife," explained her subsequent actions. "I wanted to pick her up whole. I just did not have the strength to pick her up," she said. "I had an idea to cut her down. It seemed the only way … to cut her into two."
She placed Ms Zablocka, who was a mother to a young daughter at the time, into plastic bin bags and buried her in a hole in the garden. Asked about her feelings during this act, Podedworna replied, "That I'm some type of a monster."
Background of Conflict and Denials
The trial heard that the couple argued frequently, often over money or jealousy. Podedworna testified that while living in Poland, Ms Zablocka once gave her a black eye. In previous evidence, Ms Zablocka's daughter recalled seeing Podedworna chase her mother with a knife in Poland, an allegation the defendant has denied.
Anna Podedworna, of Boyer Street, Derby, has pleaded not guilty to murder, preventing a lawful burial, and perverting the course of justice. The trial continues at Derby Crown Court.
