Woman charged with murder after body found in garden in search of missing factory worker 15 years on
A WOMAN has been charged with murder after a body was found in the search for a Polish factory worker who vanished 15 years ago.
Izabela Zablocka disappeared in 2010, aged 30, from Normanton,
6
Human remains were found buried in the garden of a Normanton home
Credit: PA
6
Izabela Zablocka vanished in 2010 aged 30
Credit: PA
6
A woman has now been charged with murder
Credit: Splash
Cops, who launched a murder inquiry into her disappearance last week, discovered what they believed to be the missing mother's remains in the garden of a home in Normanton.
Derbyshire Police have now charged Anna Podedworna with murder.
The 39-year-old, of Boyer Street, Derby, has also been charged with preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice.
She remains in custody and is due to appear in court on Friday.
Read More
Cops arrested two other women aged 39 and 43, and two men aged 41 and 48, on suspicion of murder.
All four remain on police bail as investigations continue.
A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: "A woman has been charged with the murder of Izabela Zablocka, who disappeared without trace 15 years ago.
"Izabela, a Polish national, came to the UK in 2009 but stopped contacting family in August 2010, when she was 30 years old. She has never been seen since.
Most read in The Sun
"A murder inquiry was launched two weeks ago and human remains, believed to be Izabela's, have since been found in the garden of a property in Princes Street, Normanton.
"Five people have been arrested as part of the investigation so far.
"Anna Podedworna, 39, of Boyer Street, Derby, has now been charged with murder, preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice.
"She remains in police custody and is due to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on Friday 6 June.
"Two other women aged 39 and 43, and two men aged 41 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of murder and all remain on police bail pending further inquiries."
Anyone with information can speak to officers at the scene, share it directly with detectives on the web portal
or call 101 quoting incident 92 of May 24.
6
Derbyshire Police have now charged Anna Podedworna with murder
Credit: SWNS
6
She remains in custody and is due to appear in court on Friday
Credit: SWNS
6
Five people have been arrested as part of the investigation so far
Credit: SWNS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Daughter reveals chilling phone call made hours after mum vanished 15 years ago – as cops find body buried in garden
A MYSTERY phone call could prove vital in cracking the cold case of a mum who vanished 15 years ago, The Sun can reveal. Izabela Helena Zabłocka went missing in August 2010, aged 30, after moving to Derbyshire from Poland the previous year. 9 Missing mum Izabela Zabłocka and her daughter Kasia Credit: Kasia Zabłocka 9 Izabela left Poland in 2009 to work in Derby Credit: PA 9 Police launched a murder investigation and said they found human remains Credit: Splash 9 But an investigation wasn't opened by British cops until last month, thanks to a baffling miscommunication gaffe. Once the probe finally kicked into gear, officers made five arrests before finding remains in a back garden and charging a woman with murder on Friday - all within a matter of a couple of weeks. Anna Podedworna, 39, also faces charges of preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice. Now, Izabela's Read more news Kasia and her grandmother would speak to Izabela every day over the phone after her move to Britain - but when she suddenly stopped, they became frantic with worry. The young girl had been continuously trying to contact her mum when an unknown woman answered and told her she didn't know Izabela and hung up. Kasia told us: "It was a conversation of a few seconds, I was only a child. "The woman, as far as I remember, told me that she doesn't know my mother, doesn't know who Izabela is, and hung up." Most read in The Sun Soon after that, Kasia recalls, the phone was disconnected. Her family - who don't speak English - relayed all of this to Polish cops at the time but the trail eventually ran cold, without any answers about what had happened. Derbyshire Constabulary say the first they heard of Izabela was last month when Kasia, now 25, after years of appeals for help, got in touch on a whim. Body found in search for missing woman who vanished 15 years ago – as suspect, 39, arrested over 'murder' She was as surprised as anyone that British cops hadn't been involved in the case at all - assuming Polish forces must have been liaising with them all these years. And Izabela's case might not be the only one to slip through the cracks. Speaking to The Sun, former top Scotland Yard cop He said it's so easy for someone to move to the UK and then after months or even years disappear but because they're not part of a stable support network, are never reported to police. He added: 'How many more have entered communities, but are murdered and done away with but no one is going to miss them?' Of course, Izabela's family, particularly daughter Kasia, never did give up looking - but were let down by authorities again and again. Speaking to The Sun after remains were found in the garden of a home in Princes Street - a road where Izabela had lived - last week, Kasia had said: 'I definitely want to know the truth as soon as possible.' Her mum, who had called back home every day prior to vanishing on August 29 2010, had communicated to the family she planned to return home imminently. Have YOU got a story or an amazing picture or video? Email It's understood Kasia's grandmother had even sent her daughter money to buy a plane ticket but she never arrived and her phone was suddenly deactivated after the strange call. When they reported her missing to Polish cops, it seems they simply assumed she'd made it back to her homeland. They told Izabela's family they checked hospitals and prisons, and over the years did collect DNA samples, including hair from her wedding veil. However, Kasia said the case was then archived in the mid-2010s, and her loved ones feared they would never learn what happened. Mr Bleksley said: 'In terms of the Polish police, they paid it absolute lip service. Not in a hospital, not in a jail, don't really care.' In contrast, he said the investigation by Derbyshire Constabulary 'moved at break neck speed', which is a credit to those involved. 'From it getting reported, even having heard her name for the first time, it's only days until someone has been arrested, re-arrested, and now in custody,' he continued. 'In stark contrast to the Polish police, Derbyshire have taken it very seriously, they must have made a considerable amount of enquiries to rapidly make arrests and nail the correct address, start excavating and unfortunately find remains.' He said he hoped 'despite the passage of time' the remains 'provide a treasure trove of forensic evidence'. 9 Ex Met detective Peter Bleksley Credit: Peter Bleksley 9 Police and forensics searching a property on Princes Street on June 3 Credit: SWNS 9 Kasia spoke to a mystery woman over the phone the day after her mum vanished Credit: Getty Mr Bleksley went on to say: 'It smacks to me that somebody was desperate to tell the police what they knew, and they had been waiting for that knock on the door all that time.' He said the excavation 'will be absolutely painstaking' because 'any tiny microscopic' piece of forensic evidence 'will be crucial to nailing the case'. 'This is almost like a textbook test of modern forensic science,' he added. Asked if he believes Izabela - if the remains prove to be hers - was killed by someone she knew, Mr Bleksley said: 'That is very difficult to speculate. The fact that arrests were made so swiftly, indicates to me that these were people that were known to each other - that I will say… 'I'm not being intentionally flippant here but they are going to solve this. 'Somebody, I feel, is desperate to tell people what they saw. That's why it's galloped forward so quickly. Someone's almost gone 'oh I thought you'd never come - right okay, this is what I saw, this is who did it.'' Mr Bleksley added: 'As much as we criticise our police, and as much as we at times fall short and fail us all, by and large, when it comes to the big, serious, major investigations, they do very well.' He pointed to examples of Brits who have lost loved ones abroad and they've remained unexplained, including 'We sometimes have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to our police force investigating serious crime,' he said. Mr Bleksley also added that had During his career he's worked with police forces across the world, including the US, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, sometimes undercover. He championed British forces, in comparison, for their work ethics and systems of investigation. Asked if whilst working in other countries he recognised blindsides in local cops' working, he said: 'I did, which is why I was called in so often to help foreign law enforcement with their cases.' The existence of the likes of Europol, Interpol and the National Crime Agency designed to help police communicate internationally, it may appear archaic that a case like Izabela's can fall through the cracks. 'They can only be effective if the liaison through different countries is good,' said Mr Bleksley. 'In this case, it was appalling to the extent of being non-existent. 'If the Polish police had done their job properly, this case would've been solved years ago.' Asked if it is likely there will be some kind of watchdog probe into what went wrong in Poland, Mr Bleksley said: 'That I don't know, that would be a matter for the family, I'm sure for any forces in the UK, litigation would be pursued, of course, not to mention the complaints procedure. 'I don't know what the situation is in Poland with regards to that. He added: 'There's plenty more embarrassment for the Polish police force coming down the line if this case runs its course and ends up in a trial.' Asked if there's any chance Derbyshire Police were simply mistaken and, despite their assertions, ignored communications with Poland over the years about the case, Mr Bleksley said it's unlikely. 'Everything gets logged these days. Everything goes into the computer system and lives there forever. 'Derbyshire Police wouldn't have been as bullish as they have been by saying we had no trace of this if actually they didn't have any trace.' 'I did everything to publicise my mum's disappearance' Kasia told The Sun last week, prior to the remains discovery: "When Mum went missing, I was 9 years old, I was a child. "It was only when I became an adult that I took up the search for Mum again. "I did everything to publicise my mother's disappearance; it took me a lot of time, but I hope I will find out the truth." She went on to say: "My family reported the case to the Polish police 15 years ago, but now we are finding out that the British police did not receive the report during those 15 years, and they have only just started an investigation. "The Polish police only checked prisons and hospitals and didn't find anything significant, and after a few years, the disappearance case went to the archive." She continued: "I started looking for her on my own as soon as I became an adult. "I started publicising my mother's disappearance in Poland, in the media and on YouTube. I did everything I could, and Polish charities helped me with this. "I started making posters about my mother's disappearance. I wrote to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, and they wrote back that they would check the prisons in England and Wales, but I did not receive any information on whether this was actually checked." The 25-year-old had hoped her mum had simply decided to start a new life, and she would suddenly appear with a new identity. However, those hopes were quashed when murder arrests were made, with Kasia admitting: "I'm very upset by the news I've received, and I'm so sorry that I received this message and not another one. "I've been looking for her for 15 years, and I hope I finally find out the truth." Izabela's last movements 2009 Izabela moves to the UK from Poland 2010 The factory worker is living in Princes Street, Normanton August 28, 2010 She contacts her family for the last time before she vanishes May 2025 Derbyshire Police launch a fresh appeal for information and launch a murder investigation May 28 Two women, aged 39 and 43, as well as a 41-year-old man, are arrested and released on bail June 2 Human remains are found in a garden of a house on the street where Izabela lived June 3 A 39-year-old woman, who was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, is rearrested June 6 Anna Podedworna, 39, has now been charged with murder, preventing a lawful burial and perverting the course of justice Two other women aged 39 and 43, and two men aged 41 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of murder and all remain on police bail pending further inquiries Detective Inspector Kane Martin, who is leading the investigation, said after the body was found: 'Izabela's family are at the forefront of our minds following this discovery and, whilst formal identification has not yet taken place, it is our belief that these remains do belong to Izabela." Mr Martin went on to say: 'We have spoken with Izabela's family in Poland, and they are aware. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time. 'Identification of the remains is likely to be a lengthy process, but we will issue updates when we are able. 'I know that reports of these findings will send shockwaves through the local community, and I understand the concern of residents. 'Officers will remain in Princes Street in the coming days, and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with them." DI Martin explained that a "dedicated team of detectives" would continue their investigation to "piece together information" about the days leading up to Izabela's death. Izabela worked at the former Cranberry Foods chicken and turkey factory in Scropton, around 10 miles west of Derby. Crimestoppers is offering up to £20,000 for exclusive information relating to the investigation that leads to a conviction, with the reward valid for three months until August 27. Anyone with information can contact the charity via its website, or by calling 0800 555 111. Do you know more? Email 9 Cops began searching Princes Street in Derby after making three arrests Credit: Google 9 Kasia took up the search for her mum Credit: Kasia Zabłocka
The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
At least five killed as Russia launches major attack on Ukraine
AT LEAST FIVE people have been killed after Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across Ukraine early this morning. Russian forces have accelerated attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, with the Kremlin vowing to retaliate over a brazen attack on its air bases last weekend. The Ukrainian air force said Moscow had fired 206 drones and nine missiles, adding that 'the air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces'. In Kharkiv, Mayor Igor Terekhov counted 48 Iranian-made drones, two missiles and four guided bombs before dawn in the city of some 1.4 million residents located less than 50 kilometres from the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine. 'Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war,' Terekhov posted on Telegram around 4.40am (2.40am Irish time), adding that drones were still buzzing overhead. The Russian strikes pummelled homes and apartment blocks, killing at least three people and wounding 17 more, the mayor said. A woman was also pulled alive from the rubble of a high-rise building. Kharkiv region Governor Oleg Synegubov said the wounded included two children. 'Medical personnel are providing the necessary assistance,' he wrote. The northeastern city was already reeling from an attack on Thursday that wounded at least 18 people, including four children. Advertisement Rescuers carry a wounded woman after Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In the southern port city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed a couple and damaged two high-rise buildings, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, governor Sergiy Lysak said Ukrainian forces had repelled 27 drones and two missiles overnight, but two women aged 45 and 88 were injured. Rescuers in the western city of Lutsk, near the Polish border, meanwhile discovered a second fatality from Friday's strikes, describing the victim as a woman in her 20s. The aerial bombardments come days after Ukraine launched a brazen attack well beyond the frontlines, damaging nuclear-capable military planes at Russian air bases and prompting vows of revenge from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia's defence ministry meanwhile said that 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles had been downed across a wide swath of territory. Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and immediate 30-day truce, issuing its latest proposal during peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. But Russia, which now controls around one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, has repeatedly rejected such offers to end its three-year war. The Kremlin said on Friday the Ukraine war was 'existential' for Russia. Ceasefire hopes dim The comments are Moscow's latest to dampen hopes for a breakthrough amid a flurry of meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, as well as telephone calls between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, aimed at stopping the fighting. 'For us it is an existential issue, an issue on our national interest, safety, on our future and the future of our children, of our country,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, responding to remarks by Trump on Thursday comparing Moscow and Kyiv to brawling children. Related Reads Trump-Putin phone call will not lead to 'immediate peace in Ukraine', US President says Ukraine attacks bridge connecting Crimea to Russia with over a thousand kilos of explosives Ukraine says it destroyed more than 40 military planes in drone attack in Russia Ahead of the talks this week in Istanbul, an audacious Ukrainian drone attack damaged nuclear-capable military planes at Russian air bases, including thousands of kilometres behind the front lines in Siberia. Putin had told Trump he would retaliate for the brazen operation, 18 months in the planning, in which Ukraine smuggled more than 100 small drones into Russia, parked them near Russian air bases and unleashed them in a coordinated attack. Putin has issued a host of sweeping demands on Ukraine if it wants to halt the fighting. They include completely pulling troops out of four regions claimed by Russia, but which its army does not fully control, an end to Western military support, and a ban on Ukraine joining Nato. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the demands as old ultimatums, questioned the purpose of more such talks and called for a summit to be attended by him, Putin and Trump. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Want to know more about what's happening in Ukraine and why? Check out our new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Police released my abusive ex – hours later he burned down my house as I slept but that wasn't the biggest tragedy
WHEN Louise Simpson walks past the family home where she raised her son it isn't nostalgia that she feels but despair. It was the sight of one of the most harrowing events of her life and one that saw Louise lose not only dozens of sentimental memories but also her beloved pet dog. 8 Louise Simpson was devastated when she lost her beloved dog Peggy in the house fire caused by her ex Credit: Supplied 8 Adrian West was arrested hours earlier for smashing her doorbell camera with a rock but was released Credit: SWNS 8 West burnt down the home where Louise had lived for decades and raised her son Credit: SWNS Her violent ex, Adrian West, who was caught attacking her home on her West had subjected Louise to months of violent attacks including strangling, punching and kicking. She finally kicked him out of her house in Louise, 53, called the police and West spent a night in the cells before being released without charge the following day. Read More on Real Lives But later that day he returned to the property and started a fire in the porch which quickly engulfed the house. Louise - who was taking a nap at the time - was woken by neighbours and scrambled to escape as her bedroom was filled with thick black smoke. But her beloved West has now been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to arson and a string of assaults on Louise. Most read in Fabulous She is now campaigning for a change in the law to consider companion animals as sentient beings rather than property as they are currently seen. Reliving the arrest, Louise says: 'The police came out and arrested him. Danielle Secker bravely shares her story of horrific domestic abuse "I was sobbing, saying: 'Whatever happens, I just don't want him to be able to come near me again'. So he was kept in custody overnight. 'They called me about 10.45am the next morning and said that he was going to be released with no further action. 'I said: 'Well, what do I do? He's going to come back.' And they said they can't do anything unless he does something more. "They genuinely seemed to be more worried about how abusive he'd been to the arresting officers the day before.' Louise called police on September 13 last year when a drunk West tried to smash her door and Ring doorbell camera with a rock. She wouldn't open the door and called the police. He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and held overnight at a local police station. Louise was told they could not take further action because she had not signed the witness statement she had provided. She says: "At the time I didn't particularly want to get him in too much trouble, I thought he isn't getting any younger and all I wanted was for him to just leave me alone. 8 Horrifying before and after photos show the extent of the damage Credit: SWNS 8 Louise was offered new accomodation but she is determined to return to her old home Credit: SWNS 8 West has now been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to arson and a string of assaults on Louise Credit: SWNS "I asked the police that whatever happened could they please just warn him about coming back to my house again" Fearing that West would return to her house the following day, she blocked the front door with a toolbox and stockpiled food for a few days. She was 'shattered' and laid down for a nap. A heavy sleeper, she awoke at 3.16pm to her neighbours raising the alarm that her house was on fire. For about four or five days, I couldn't eat. I just laid on the sofa Louise Simpson Fire forensics later told Louise they believe he used white spirit as an accelerant. Three-year-old Peggy hid under the bed and was too heavy for Louise to drag her out. "If she decided she wasn't going to move, you could not move her," Louise says. "I was desperately trying, but I couldn't breathe, so I ran down the stairs.' Louise was able to pull the toolbox out of the way but once outside she ran back in in a second attempt to rescue Peggy. "I was trying to cover my mouth with my hands and putting my T-shirt over my mouth but because the smoke was so thick I couldn't breathe,' she says. 'My neighbours were all telling me to get out.' Firefighters rescued Peggy from the house but were unable to resuscitate her. Louise stayed with her son Connor, 28, after the fire. Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night Men who are being abused can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or on 0182 3334 244 Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring on 0800 999 5428 If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999 Remember, you are not alone. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime. Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse. She says: 'For about four or five days, I couldn't eat. I just laid on the sofa. I didn't wash, didn't brush my teeth. 'I was just crying non-stop, I couldn't take it all in.' She now stays between her Connor's house and a friend's in nearby Crawley. The council offered her alternative accommodation but she would prefer to move back into her house once it is repaired in about a year. She says: 'I've lived in that home for 28 years. I raised my son there. I've got good memories there as well.' Her possessions suffered fire, smoke or water damage. Peggy's life was given as much value as a bookcase Louise Simpson Louise lost personal photos, her mum's ashes, a hairbrush which had her mum's hair still in it, an elephant made for her by her daughter-in-law out of her mum's clothes and Connor's baby clothes she was saving for her grandchildren. West, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court to arson with intent, criminal damage, non-fatal strangulation, common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm on May 2. He was sentenced to six years and three months in jail. Louise is upset that Peggy's death was not considered in the sentencing. She wants offenders to be punished for killing companion animals like dogs and cats. She adds: 'Peggy's life was given as much value as a bookcase. 'She was my absolute world. 'What I used to go through with him, she was the one constant that was there by my side; my best friend.' A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "West was arrested on 13 September 2024 on suspicion of criminal damage and spent the night in custody. 'He was released without charge as the victim did not wish to sign a statement at the time." The Ministry of Justice says it has no plans to change the law. To sign her petition, click 8 The mum is staying with her son Connor while she waits for repairs on her home Credit: Supplied 8 Louise is fighting to change the law so animals are seen as sentient beings Credit: Supplied
