A jury at Derby Crown Court has heard allegations that a woman killed her partner in 2010 and concealed the victim’s remains at their home for more than a decade before alerting police in 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Anna Podedworna, 40, killed Izabela Zablocka, 30, at the house the couple shared in Derby, motivated by sexual jealousy. The Crown claims the death was followed by a prolonged effort to hide the crime, with the victim’s remains buried in the back garden of the property. The remains were discovered 15 years later after Podedworna contacted police.
Opening the prosecution case, Gordon Aspden KC told jurors that the alleged killing was followed by what he described as deliberate actions intended to prevent discovery and destroy evidence. He cautioned the jury that some aspects of the case would be distressing.
According to the prosecution, the matter came to light after a Polish journalist contacted Podedworna in 2025 to ask about Ms Zablocka’s disappearance. Shortly afterwards, Podedworna emailed Derbyshire Police stating that Ms Zablocka’s body could be found beneath concrete in the garden of their former home in Princes Street, Derby.
Police subsequently carried out a search and recovered skeletal remains, later confirmed through DNA analysis to be those of Ms Zablocka. Due to the length of time that had passed and the condition of the remains, the prosecution said it has not been possible to establish a precise cause of death.
The court heard that Ms Zablocka was originally from Trzebiatów in north-west Poland. She had a daughter from a previous marriage, which later ended. Prosecutors said Ms Zablocka then entered a relationship with Podedworna. The pair moved to the UK in 2009 in search of work, initially living in London before relocating to Derby in 2010. Ms Zablocka’s daughter remained in Poland with relatives.
Both women found employment at a poultry processing factory in Derbyshire. Prosecutors said Ms Zablocka maintained regular contact with her family in Poland, speaking to them by phone every few days. Her last known contact was a call to her mother in late August 2010.
Podedworna is alleged to have continued her life without raising suspicion in the years that followed. The court was told that members of her family later joined her in the UK, and she went on to form a relationship with a man, with whom she had two children.
When she attended a police station in 2025, prosecutors said Podedworna claimed Ms Zablocka had died accidentally during a physical confrontation and that she had acted in self-defence. The prosecution rejects this account, describing it as a fabricated explanation intended to deflect responsibility.
Jurors also heard that police recovered personal writings from Podedworna’s home, including a diary containing religious reflections. In addition, investigators found animal remains buried near the location where Ms Zablocka’s body was discovered.
The prosecution noted that Podedworna had previously worked as a butcher, a role involving the processing of animal carcasses, which they say is relevant to the concealment of the remains.
Before the discovery of the body, a Polish journalist interviewed Podedworna about Ms Zablocka’s disappearance. Jurors were told that during this interview Podedworna denied any knowledge of what had happened and suggested her former partner had issues with alcohol. The journalist also reported that Podedworna described relationship tensions linked to discussions about gender reassignment, which the prosecution says formed part of the background to the case.
Podedworna denies charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, and perverting the course of justice, alleged to have occurred between August 2010 and June 2025. She has entered no comment responses during police interviews. The trial continues.
