Izabela Zablocka’s body remained undiscovered for 15 years
14:53, 22 Jan 2026Updated 15:00, 22 Jan 2026
Izabela’s family in Poland lost contact with her in August 2010(Image: )
A Derby woman allegedly murdered, dismembered and buried her partner then “got on with her life as though nothing had happened” for 15 years while the body remained undiscovered, a jury has been told.
A trial heard how Anna Podedworna went on to have two children with a city man while Izabela Zablocka’s remains lay rotting inside two bin bags in a Normanton garden.
Prosecutors claim the 40-year-old only went on to tell the police after the alleged victim’s daughter sought help in Poland to trace her missing mother and the net closed in on her.
Court heard Podedworna admitted to “being there” when the killing took place, but the accused claimed she acted in self-defence.
Podedworna, of Boyer Street, is on trial for murder, preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice, all of which she denies.
Prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC, opening the trial, said: “Make absolutely no mistake, this defendant’s post-murder cover-up involved a series of deliberate, calculated, gruesome, and time-consuming acts which she carried out with resolve and purpose over a period of several days.
“The mistreatment and destruction of Izabela’s body really speaks for itself. It needs no further words of mine. “
Human remains, believed to be those of Ms Zablocka, were found at an address in Normanton earlier this week(Image: )
The prosecutor said the victim left her young daughter back in Poland when she moved to the UK in 2009 with Podedworna first settling in London and then moving to a house in Princes Street, Normanton.
He said both worked at a local poultry factory called Cranberry Foods which was based in Scropton.
He said Ms Zablocka would call her family in Poland every few days “without fail” and she phoned her mother on Saturday, August 28, 2010 and chatted as they would ordinarily do and seemingly “nothing appeared to be amiss”.
The prosecutor said: “Following this telephone call Izabela’s family neither saw nor heard from her ever again.
“To all intents and purposes she completely disappeared off the face of the earth.
“What had happened to Izabela? Where was she?
“The Crown’s case is that shortly after Izabela’s final telephone call to her mother this defendant Anna Podedworna murdered her.
“Having done so, she then dismembered Izabela’s body by cutting it in half at the waist with a large knife, trussed it up with electrical tape, placed these now remains in black plastic bin bags and buried them in the back garden.
“A section of concrete hardstanding was then laid over the top to hide Izabela’s filthy, makeshift grave.
“By her conduct the defendant demonstrated that she was determined to conceal what she had done, and determined to destroy all incriminating evidence of the murder she had committed.”
Police in Princes Street, in Normanton, Derby.(Image: )
Mr Aspden said the only person who knows what the potential motive was for the killing is the defendant, but he told the jury there was “evidence of sexual jealousy”.
He said Ms Zablocka’s daughter back in Poland contacted a Polish organisation to help track her missing mother down and they were able to make contact with the defendant who denied any knowledge.
But as the case had amassed such media interest in her home country, a Polish journalist also came to the UK to interview her which was a “tipping point,” the prosecutor said.
He said: “On Wednesday May 21, 2025 the defendant emailed Derbyshire Police and told them that she wished to provide them with evidence.
“At first the police had no idea what it was all about.
“The defendant’s message had come completely out of the blue.
“It culminated in the defendant emailing the police on Saturday 24th May and informing them that they would find Izabela buried in the back garden at 113 Princes Street.”
Mr Aspden said Podedworna was interviewed, arrested and claimed that the victim had died by ‘accident’ during a violent confrontation between them, and that during this violent incident she had done nothing more than defend herself.
He said the garden at 113 Princes Street was excavated and the remains were found in the bags and DNA confirmed them to be Ms Zablocka.
Mr Aspden said: “It was discovered that during the 15 years following Izabela’s murder the defendant had got on with her life as normal.
“Her mother and sister had joined her in the UK, and had moved into 113 Princes Street with her, a month or so after the murder. They had effectively taken Izabela’s place.
“Then later the defendant had formed a relationship with a local man and had had two children by him.”
The trial, which is expected to last three-to-four weeks, continues.