Woman Accused of Murdering Girlfriend and Concealing Body in Garden for 15 Years
A court has heard harrowing details of how a woman allegedly murdered her girlfriend, dismembered her body, and concealed the remains in her garden where they lay undiscovered for fifteen years. Anna Podedworna, 40, stands accused of killing 30-year-old Izabela Zablocka in August 2010 during what prosecutors describe as a relationship marred by sexual jealousy and volatility.
Gruesome Cover-Up and Long Concealment
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC told Derby Crown Court that Podedworna committed the murder before engaging in what he termed a series of deliberate, calculated, gruesome, and time-consuming acts to cover her tracks. The court heard that after the killing, Podedworna allegedly:
- Cut Miss Zablocka's body in half with a large knife
- Bound the remains with electrical tape
- Placed the body parts into black plastic bin bags
- Buried them in the back garden of their shared terraced house in Derby's Normanton area
- Laid a concrete hardstanding over the makeshift grave to conceal it
Mr Aspden stated that these actions demonstrated how the defendant was determined to conceal what she had done and destroy all incriminating evidence of the murder she had committed.
Victim's Final Contact and Sudden Disappearance
The court learned that Izabela Zablocka, originally from Trzebiatow in north-west Poland, had moved to the UK with Podedworna in 2009 in search of work. The two women had been in a sexual relationship after Miss Zablocka's marriage ended, leaving her young daughter Katarzyna with relatives in Poland.
On Saturday 28th August 2010, Miss Zablocka made what would be her final telephone call to her mother in Poland. Everything seemed quite normal. Nothing was amiss, Mr Aspden told the jury. Following this call, her family neither saw nor heard from her again. To all intents and purposes she completely disappeared off the face of the earth, the prosecutor said.
Fifteen Years of Uncertainty and Eventual Discovery
For fifteen years, Miss Zablocka's family lived in what Mr Aspden described as a state of constant anxiety and dread, unsure whether she was dead or alive. They reported her missing to UK police in November 2010 and to Polish authorities in January 2011, but the case remained unsolved.
The breakthrough came in 2024 when Miss Zablocka's daughter, by then in her mid-twenties, contacted a Polish organisation called 'Missing for Years'. This eventually led to a Polish television journalist contacting Podedworna in May 2025. Mr Aspden described this as a tipping point that caused the defendant to crack under mounting pressure.
On 21st May 2025, Podedworna emailed Derbyshire Police stating she wished to provide evidence. She subsequently directed officers to the back garden of their former home on Princes Street, Derby, where she said they would find Miss Zablocka's body.
Defendant's Account and Police Investigation
When speaking to police, Podedworna claimed Miss Zablocka had died accidentally during a violent confrontation between them and that she was acting in self-defence. She described an incident that happened very fast, adding: She wasn't alive.
Mr Aspden told the court this new and freshly-created claim of self-defence was yet another lie by the defendant to conceal her guilt. Police made what they described as a grim and bleak discovery on 1st June 2025, finding skeletal remains and small fragments of human tissue. DNA testing later confirmed the remains belonged to Izabela Zablocka.
Officers also discovered an animal burial site just above the human grave containing bones belonging to two dogs, at least three cats, and other animals.
Life After the Alleged Murder
The court heard that during the fifteen years following the alleged murder, Podedworna had got on with her life as normal. Her mother and sister joined her in the UK, she formed a relationship with a local man, and had two children with him. When police searched her house, they found a diary containing extensive religious references, including one note that read: I accept that I have sinned against a perfect God.
Anna Podedworna, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey sweatshirt and black glasses assisted by a Polish interpreter, denies charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, and perverting the course of justice between 27th August 2010 and 2nd June 2025. During eight subsequent police interviews, she answered no comment to all questions. The trial continues.
