Derby Murder Trial Hears Gruesome Details of 15-Year-Old Cold Case
A chilling murder trial at Derby Crown Court has heard how a woman allegedly killed her girlfriend, dismembered her body, and concealed the remains in her garden where they lay undiscovered for fifteen years. The prosecution described a calculated cover-up involving what they termed "deliberate, calculated, gruesome, and time-consuming acts."
The Discovery and Allegations
The court was told that Anna Podedworna, 40, only revealed the location of Izabela Zablocka's body to Derbyshire Police in May 2025 after being contacted by a Polish journalist investigating the disappearance. Prosecuting barrister Gordon Aspden KC stated that Podedworna emailed police, directing them to find the body under concrete in the back garden of their former shared home in Normanton, Derby.
Police made what Mr Aspden described as a "grim and bleak discovery" on June 1, 2025, uncovering skeletal remains and small tissue fragments that subsequent DNA testing confirmed belonged to Miss Zablocka. The remains were found "trussed up like a chicken" with electrical tape binding the legs in a hyper-flexed position, according to the prosecution.
A Relationship Turned Toxic
The court heard how the two Polish women had moved to the UK together in 2009 seeking work, initially living in London before relocating to Derby in 2010. Both found employment at a local poultry factory, Cranberry Foods in Scropton, Derbyshire, where Podedworna worked as part of a team known as "Cutting 1" that involved skinning and portioning turkey carcasses with large knives.
Mr Aspden told jurors there was evidence of "sexual jealousy" and a "stormy and turbulent" relationship between the women. He suggested this "toxic backdrop" provided the context for the alleged murder, which prosecutors claim occurred shortly after Miss Zablocka's final telephone call to her mother in Poland on August 28, 2010.
The Alleged Cover-Up
According to the prosecution, Podedworna murdered Miss Zablocka before undertaking what Mr Aspden called a "post-murder cover-up" that proved "extremely successful" for fifteen years. The court heard she allegedly:
- Dismembered the body by cutting it in half with a large knife
- Trussed the remains with electrical tape
- Placed the body parts in black plastic bin bags
- Buried them in the back garden
- Laid concrete hardstanding over the makeshift grave
Mr Aspden stated that Podedworna then "got on with her life as normal," with her mother and sister joining her in the UK, and she later formed a relationship with a local man with whom she had two children.
The Investigation Unfolds
The court heard that Miss Zablocka's family reported her missing to UK police in November 2010 and Polish authorities in January 2011, living in what Mr Aspden described as "a state of constant anxiety and dread." In 2024, Miss Zablocka's daughter, then in her mid-twenties, contacted a Polish organization called "Missing for Years" for assistance.
When initially contacted by the organization, Podedworna denied knowing Miss Zablocka or what had happened to her. However, after Polish television journalist Rafal Zalewski requested an interview in May 2025, Mr Aspden said this became a "tipping point" that caused Podedworna to "crack" under mounting pressure.
Contradictory Accounts
When Podedworna eventually went to police, she claimed Miss Zablocka had died accidentally during a violent confrontation where she was defending herself. Mr Aspden dismissed this as "yet another lie by the defendant to conceal her guilt."
The court also heard that during the investigation, police discovered a diary containing religious references, including one note that read: "I accept that I have sinned against a perfect God." Officers additionally found an "animal burial site" just above the human grave containing bones from at least two dogs, three cats, and other animals.
Forensic Challenges
Due to the passage of time and the state of the remains, prosecutors acknowledged it has not been possible to determine Miss Zablocka's exact cause of death. Mr Aspden told jurors that Podedworna had, "with a great deal of effort," destroyed evidence of how the murder was committed.
Anna Podedworna, who listened to proceedings with the assistance of a Polish interpreter while wearing a grey sweatshirt and black glasses, denies charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, and perverting the course of justice between August 27, 2010 and June 2, 2025. During eight police interviews following her arrest, she answered no comment to all questions.
The trial continues at Derby Crown Court.
