Woman guilty of killing partner she cut up and buried

A woman has been found guilty of murdering her partner before cutting her body in two and burying her remains in the back garden of a house more than 15 years ago.

Izabela Zablocka was first reported missing in 2010, and her remains were found buried in Princes Street, Derby, on 1 June 2025.

The discovery came after Derby Crown Court heard Anna Podedworna, 40, of Boyer Street in Derby, contacted Derbyshire Police last year, telling them the body would be found there.

On Tuesday, Podedworna - who the court heard was a skilled butcher - was convicted of murder by a jury.

Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing

Podedworna showed no emotion when the jury returned their verdict, after deliberating for seven hours and six minutes.

She will be sentenced on Wednesday.

The jury was told the two women had moved to the UK together from Poland in search of work and lived in the Normanton area of Derby.

The prosecution said Zablocka phoned her mother in Poland on 28 August 2010 and was not heard from again.

Gordon Aspden KC said shortly after this call, Zablocka was murdered by Podedworna, who "dismembered Izabela's body by cutting it in half with a large knife".

Police discovered the defendant had previously been employed as a "skilled butcher", and her work involved "deboning, and portioning out turkey carcasses using a large knife".

The court heard the body was buried in the back garden, before concrete hardstanding was then laid over the top.

The jury was also told Podedworna emailed police on 21 May 2025, saying she wished to provide evidence in relation to Zablocka's disappearance.

She told officers three days later they would find her body buried in the garden in Princes Street, the court heard.

But Podedworna claimed Zablocka died by "accident" during a violent confrontation, and claimed she ended up killing her partner in "self-defence".