A Man Accused Of Murdering A Woman And Burying Her In A Makeshift Grave

A man accused of murdering a woman and burying her in a makeshift grave has told police he accidentally killed her when he threw an ax into a tree, a court has heard.

Andrew Burfield, 51, is accused of murdering 33-year-old Katie. Kenyon on April 22 and buried his body in a grave he had dug in the forest of Bowland in Lancashire the day before his death. On Monday, a trial at Preston Crown Court heard he had been sending messages from his phone to his children. and  himself after his death.

Prosecutor David McLachlan KC told jurors that following Ms Kenyon's disappearance, Burfield was arrested  and interviewed four times, initially denying any knowledge of her whereabouts. In his penultimate interview, there was a "revelation" and his version of events changed,  McLachlan said.

Burfield, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, told police he took Miss Kenyon, with whom he had been in a relationship  since 2019, to Gisburn Forest for a picnic and she "bet" him that he was his Can't hit Coca-Cola with his axe. The court heard him tell police: "I went to the tree next to her and hit her on the head. She said she was hit with the back of the ax and  had no other injuries. , but the jury heard an autopsy showed she was hit about 12 times.

Mr McLachlan said: "We now understand that Mr Burfield will admit to causing the 12 injuries suffered by Katie Kenyon. Burfield told police he then dug a hole and buried her. , the jury was informed.

Mr McLachlan said Home Office forensic pathologist Dr. Jamie Robinson noted that Burfield's account of accidentally hitting Miss Kenyon with an ax was "completely unbelievable" given the nature of the injuries. his father's shovel and ladder and drove up to Gisburn Forest.

Mr McLachlan said: "It is the prosecution's case that Andrew Burfield was on an important mission that night and that was in the year to dig a grave and it was to dig Katie Kenyon's grave." He was in the area where her body would  be recovered for just under an hour later. On the morning of her death, the court heard that Miss Kenyon  Burfield texted: "Ready and excited for a new chapter.

Mr McLachlan said surveillance cameras showed her driving in the Ford Transit van from Burfield on the morning of April 22 and stopping  at McDonald's on the way to Gisburn Woods. Prosecutors allege that Burfield spent just over 42 minutes in the woods where he killed her. and buried his body. Cellular site analysis showed that Miss Kenyon's phone had returned from the woods at 11:15 am.

"Katie Kenyon, prosecutors say, was at the time in a carefully constructed grave that had been excavated by Andrew Burfield the night before. The court heard that Miss Kenyon's daughter texted her  at 12:18 p.m. Response of two smiley emojis. Mr McLachlan said: "Prosecutors say Katie Kenyon  was dead at the time." This message was not sent by her but  was part of a hoax and was sent by Andrew Burfield.

Messages were later sent from Ms Kenyon's phone to Burfield saying she was "really sorry about everything" and to her children, with a message to her daughter saying her father was looking after her would. The court heard voice memos left by Burfield. for Miss Kenyon, in which he said he was "a little worried" about her. His body was recovered a week after his death. Burfield denies the murder.