A Polish-born butcher who murdered her girlfriend, dismembered her body and buried it in the garden of their Derby home has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Anna Podedworna, 40, must serve a minimum of 20 years and 116 days before being considered for parole.
Derby Crown Court heard that Podedworna killed Izabela Zablocka, 30, in late August 2010 at the couple's home on Princes Street. She then used a large knife to sever the body in two at the waist, placed the remains in bin bags and buried them under concrete in a 'filthy, makeshift grave'.
Ms Zablocka, a mother of one, had last spoken to her family by telephone on 28 August 2010. When they reported her missing, Podedworna claimed she had 'run off' to London. The truth only emerged in 2025 after a Polish journalist interviewed the family, prompting Podedworna to email police and confess.
During the trial, Podedworna claimed she had acted in self-defence after Ms Zablocka tried to strangle her, but a jury convicted her of murder, perverting the course of justice and preventing a lawful burial. Sentencing, Mrs Justice Heather Williams KC highlighted 'many serious aggravating features' and described the cruelty of the crime, which left Ms Zablocka's daughter with a 'deep wound in her psyche'.
Officers excavated the garden in June 2025 and found severely decomposed remains. DNA analysis confirmed they belonged to Ms Zablocka.
