Derby Turkey Butcher Convicted of Gruesome Murder and Dismemberment
A turkey butcher from Derby has been found guilty of the brutal murder of her girlfriend, followed by the dismemberment and burial of the victim's body in their garden. The shocking case, heard at Derby Crown Court, revealed a calculated attempt to conceal the crime through what prosecutors described as deliberate and gruesome acts.
Details of the Horrific Crime
Anna Podedworna, 40, who originally moved to the UK from Poland in 2009, was convicted of murdering mum-of-one Izabela Zablocka in 2010. The court heard that Podedworna, who worked as a skilled butcher at a poultry factory, used her professional expertise to cut the 30-year-old victim's body in half after the killing. Prosecutors stated that considerable force would have been required for this act, and electrical tape had been used to bind Ms Zablocka's legs together before burial.
The remains were discovered in June last year in the garden of a property on Princes Street in Normanton, Derby, where the two women had lived together. This discovery came after Podedworna herself emailed Derbyshire Police to reveal that her former girlfriend was buried there, according to prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC.
Defendant's Claims and Jury Verdict
During the trial, Podedworna denied all charges, including murder, preventing a lawful burial, and perverting the course of justice. She claimed through a Polish interpreter that she had acted in self-defence, alleging that Ms Zablocka had grabbed her, pressed her against a wall, and strangled her until she found it difficult to breathe. Podedworna testified that she then hit her partner with a horse figurine, could not find a pulse afterward, and decided to bury the body in the garden.
The defendant described their relationship as stormy and turbulent, and explained that she dismembered the body because she lacked the strength to move it whole. She told jurors, I had an idea to cut her down. It seemed the only way... to cut her into two.
After Judge Mrs Justice Williams KC asked the jury to begin their deliberations on Monday morning, they returned with a guilty verdict. The prosecution had emphasised that Podedworna's actions following the killing were deliberate, calculated, gruesome and time-consuming acts designed to cover up the murder.
Background and Aftermath
Podedworna's work at the poultry factory involved skinning, deboning, and portioning out turkey carcasses using a large knife, skills that the court heard were relevant to the dismemberment. The case has drawn significant attention due to the horrific nature of the crime and the defendant's professional background.
The discovery of Ms Zablocka's remains after more than a decade has brought some closure to the investigation, though the details revealed during the trial have shocked the local community and beyond. The verdict marks the end of a lengthy legal process that exposed the tragic consequences of a volatile relationship and the extreme measures taken to conceal a violent death.
