A turkey butcher from Poland has been found guilty of murdering her girlfriend, dismembering her body, and concealing the remains in a garden in Derby for fifteen years. Anna Podedworna, 40, was convicted at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday for the killing of Izabela Zablocka, which occurred in August 2010.
Gruesome Details Emerge in Court
The court heard that Podedworna killed Ms Zablocka, aged 30, by striking her with a horse figurine. She then bound the victim's body with electrical tape, "trussing her up like a chicken", according to prosecutor Gordon Aspden. In a particularly chilling detail, Podedworna used her professional skills as a butcher to cut Ms Zablocka's body in half before burial.
Professional Skills Used in Crime
At the time of the murder, Podedworna worked at a poultry factory in Scropton, Derbyshire, where her duties included skinning, deboning, and portioning turkey carcasses with large knives. Employment records showed she took two weeks off work shortly after Ms Zabblocka's final contact with her mother in Poland.
The remains were discovered in June of last year under concrete hardstanding in the garden of the terraced house the couple shared in Normanton, Derby. Police described the burial site as a "filthy, makeshift grave" where the body had been wrapped in bin bags.
Fifteen Years of Uncertainty
Samantha Shallow of the Crown Prosecution Service highlighted the prolonged suffering inflicted on the victim's family: "Anna Podedworna not only brutally murdered her partner, but she subjected Izabela's loved ones to 15 years of uncertainty and anguish, not knowing if she was alive or dead."
Ms Zablocka had moved to Derby from Poland with Podedworna "in search of a new life with her partner, but instead met her death," Ms Shallow told the court.
Break in the Case
The investigation gained momentum when Podedworna "cracked" under "mounting pressure" and contacted police last year. This followed an interview request from a Polish television journalist who had flown to the UK to speak with her.
Jurors heard that "considerable force" would have been required to sever the body, and that the victim's legs had been bound together before burial.
Multiple Convictions
Podedworna was found guilty of three charges:
- Murder
- Preventing a lawful burial
- Perverting the course of justice
She will return to Derby Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, where she faces a mandatory life term for the murder conviction.
The case has shocked the local community in Derby and drawn attention to domestic violence within immigrant communities. Police have emphasized their commitment to investigating historical crimes regardless of how much time has passed.
