ANNA PODEDWORNA – DERBYSHIRE

❌ANNA PODEDWORNA – DERBYSHIRE❌

Woman Jailed for Life After Killing Partner and Burying Body in Derby Garden

A woman who murdered her partner before cutting her body in half and burying her remains in a Derby garden more than 15 years ago has been jailed for life.

Anna Podedworna, 40, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum term of 21 years.

The court heard that Podedworna and 30-year-old Izabela Zablocka had moved to the UK together from Poland in search of work and were living in the Normanton area of Derby in 2010.

Prosecutors said Zablocka last spoke to her mother in Poland on 28 August 2010. She was never heard from again.

Gordon Aspden KC, prosecuting, told jurors that shortly after that phone call, Zablocka was murdered by Podedworna. The court heard that the defendant then dismembered her partner’s body, cutting it in half with a large knife.

Police later discovered that Podedworna had previously worked as a skilled butcher. Her job involved deboning and portioning turkey carcasses using large knives, experience the prosecution said was relevant to the way the body was disposed of.

The remains were buried in the back garden of a property in Princes Street, Normanton. The court was told that concrete hardstanding was later laid over the burial site in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

The case remained unsolved for years until Zablocka’s daughter, Kasia — now an adult — contacted Polish television journalist Rafal Zalewski in 2025, asking him to investigate her mother’s disappearance.

In May 2025, Zalewski travelled to Derby and confronted Podedworna outside her home in Boyer Street. She denied knowing what had happened to Zablocka.

However, the court heard that under mounting pressure, Podedworna later contacted Derbyshire Police by email and disclosed where the body could be found.

A full-scale excavation of the Princes Street garden led to the discovery of Zablocka’s remains, bringing a 15-year mystery to an end.

Sentencing Podedworna, the judge imposed a life sentence, with a minimum term of 21 years before she can be considered for parole.