Wednesday 16 November 2022 11:47 PM Messages sent by murderer to victim's children after he bludgeoned ... trends now
A 'vindictive' builder brutally bludgeoned a mother-of-two to death with an axe and sent messages to her children to cover his tracks before dumping her in a makeshift grave he dug the day before, a court has heard.
Katie Kenyon's body was found buried in remote woodland in April this year, days after she had been reported missing. The 33-year-old had been struck at least 12 times before she was dumped in the shallow grave.
Andrew Burfield, 51, 'created' messages impersonating his ex-girlfriend to be sent to her children, including one which said: 'I love you and I'm sorry'.
The callous messages and thought that went into crafting them were a sign that 'murder was on his mind', prosecutors argued.
The court heard he attempted to hide his involvement in the disappearance by sending a message to Katie's children informing them they would have to 'stay with their Dad for a while'.
He was arrested following her disappearance and interviewed four times, at first denying any knowledge of her whereabouts.
But he then changed his version of events in his penultimate interview, claiming he accidentally killed her by throwing an axe at a tree during a picnic in Gisburn Forest, Lancashire.
Burfield changed his plea on the third day of his trial on Wednesday. He is due to be sentenced tomorrow at 10.30am.
Katie Kenyon, 33, was brutally murdered by he ex-boyfriend, who buried her in a shallow grave he had dug the day before carrying out the crime
Burfield, 51, sent messages to Katie's children to pretend he had nothing to do with her disappearance, insinuating that their mother had had to go away for a while
The boyfriend of mother-of-two Katie Kenyon has pleaded guilty to her murder on the third day of his trial
Andrew Burfield changed his plea on Wednesday. He is due to be sentenced tomorrow at 10.30am
The court previously heard Burfield, a builder, used Katie's phone to message her kids after he killed her and buried her body in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.
Jurors were told he borrowed a spade from his father and had driven to Gisburn Forest, Lancs., where he dug a grave for her the day before the killing.
And draft notes recovered from his iPhone suggested he had 'created' messages impersonating Katie, 33, which said prosecutors showed 'murder was on his mind.'
Following the killing, he used her phone to write messages to himself and her children, with one saying: 'I want you to know that I'm truly sorry for everything.'
Another message read: 'Hey dude, I love you and sorry', with a broken heart emoji attached to it, suggesting Katie had to 'go away somewhere'.
Messages created by Burfield included: 'I love you. I'm sorry. Your dad will be looking after you for a while.'
Opening the trial on Monday, David McLachlan KC, told the jury Burfield was arrested following Katie's disappearance and interviewed four times.
But he said CCTV footage showed Burfield getting into his white Ford Transit van with Katie around 9am on the morning of April 22 and heading to the murder site.
Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Allen Davies said he welcomed the 11th hour plea and described Burfield as 'nothing short of a vindictive monster'.
'In my entire police service, I have never dealt with a case involving such an extent of cold and callous pre-meditation,' he said.
David McLachlan KC told jurors at Preston Crown Court how Burfield - who had been in an on-off relationship with Miss Kenyon since 2019 - killed the mother-of-two after they split up.
He then sent messages to himself and her children from her phone, the jury was told.
Miss Kenyon had been scared of Burfield, telling her mother in chilling messages: 'I'm paranoid to death hes ganna do summert... couldn't sleepall night xxxx'.
Burfield told police he had taken Miss Kenyon, who he had been in a relationship with since 2019, to Gisburn Forest for a picnic and she had 'bet' him
