Katie Kenyon: Man claims he accidentally killed woman, jury told

A man accused of murdering a woman then burying her in a makeshift grave, said he killed her accidentally when he threw an axe at a tree, a jury has heard.

Andrew Burfield, 51, allegedly killed 33-year-old Katie Kenyon, from Padiham, Lancashire, on 22 April.

He is then accused of burying her body in a grave he had dug the day before her death, in the Forest of Bowland.

Mr Burfield denies murder.

David McLachlan, KC, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, told the jury Mr Burfield was arrested following Miss Kenyon's disappearance 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, Mr McLachlan said.

Mr Burfield, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, told police he had taken Miss Kenyon to Gisburn Forest for a picnic and she had "bet" him he could not hit her can of Coke with his axe.

The court heard he told police: "I went for the tree at the side of her and it hit her in head."

He claimed she had been hit with the back of the axe and she had no other injuries, but the jury heard a post-mortem examination showed she was struck an estimated 12 times.

Mr McLachlan said: "We now understand Mr Burfield will admit to causing all 12 injuries Katie Kenyon sustained."

Mr Burfield told police he then dug a hole and buried her, the jury heard.

Mr McLachlan said forensic pathologist Dr Jamie Robinson found Mr Burfield's account of accidentally hitting Miss Kenyon with the axe was "completely implausible" due to the nature of her injuries.

The court heard the day before Miss Kenyon's death Mr Burfield borrowed a set of ladders and spade from his father and drove to Gisburn Forest.

Mr McLachlan said: "It's the prosecution case that Andrew Burfield had been out on that night on an important mission and that was in order to dig a grave and it was to dig Katie Kenyon's grave.

"He was in the area where her body would later be recovered for just under one hour."

On the morning of her death, the court heard Miss Kenyon messaged Mr Burfield saying: "Ready and excited for a new chapter."

Mr McLachlan said CCTV showed her travelling in Mr Burfield's Ford Transit van on the morning of 22 April and stopping off at McDonalds on their way to Gisburn Forest.

The prosecution alleges Mr Burfield spent just over 42 minutes in the forest, where he killed her and buried her body.

Cell site analysis showed Miss Kenyon's phone travelling back from the forest from 11:15 BST.

Mr McLachlan said: "The prosecution case being on this occasion the phone may have been in Andrew Burfield's van but Katie Kenyon certainly was not.

"Katie Kenyon, the prosecution say, at this stage, was in a carefully constructed grave that had been dug the night before by Andrew Burfield."

The court heard Miss Kenyon's daughter sent her a message at 12:18 that day and received a response of two laughing face emojis.

Mr McLachlan said by this stage he believes she was dead.

"That message was not sent by her but it was part of a charade and was sent by Andrew Burfield."

Messages were later sent from Miss Kenyon's phone to Mr Burfield, saying she was "truly sorry for everything", and to her children, with a message to her daughter saying her father would be looking after her.

The court heard voice notes Mr Burfield left for Miss Kenyon in which he said he was "a bit worried" about her.

Her body was recovered a week after her death.

The trial continues.

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