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Andrew Burfield, 51, changed his plea on day three of his trial over the murder of Katie Kenyon, 33.  Burfield admitted the murder of the mother-of-two at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday. He was re-arraigned on the charge and the jury in the case formally found him guilty.

The court heard how Burfield buried Ms Kenyon’s body in a grave he had dug the day before her death, in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire.

He then sent messages to himself and her children from her phone.

Opening the trial on Monday, David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, told the jury 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.

Burfield, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, 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 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, it hit her in (her) 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 showed she was struck an estimated 12 times.

Katie’s body was found seven days after she went missing, hidden beneath leaves and twigs. 

Following the change of plea, Detective Chief Insp Al Davies, of the Force Major Investigation Team at Lancashire Police said Katie was murdered in a “cold-blooded and horrifically violent attack”. 

He said: “My thoughts first and foremost today are with Katie’s family. They have suffered unimaginable pain and suffering at the hands of Andrew Burfield, a man who is nothing short of a vindictive monster.

“Not only has he murdered Katie in a cold-blooded and horrifically violent attack, but he has then tried to conceal her body and repeatedly lied and changed his story to try and cover up his vile actions.

“In my entire police service, I have never dealt with a case involving such an extent of cold and callous pre-meditation. Despite knowing fully what he had done and the overwhelming weight of evidence in this case, he put the family through the unnecessary pain of running a trial.

“There is no doubt he is facing a very lengthy custodial sentence, which I hope will give Katie’s family some sense that justice has been served.

“I would like to place on record my thanks to all the officers involved in this case who worked tirelessly to secure justice for Katie and her family”. I would also like to thank colleagues from the CPS and KC’s David McLachlan and Emma Kehoe”

“As a force, we will continue to prioritise violence against women and girls, to target those who prey on them and, to make our communities safe for all.”

Burfield is due to be sentenced on Thursday at 10.30am.

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