Katie Kenyon murder: Man who said axe death was accident jailed

A man who told police he killed a woman accidentally when he threw an axe at a tree has been jailed for her murder.

Andrew Burfield changed his plea at Preston Crown Court to admit killing mother-of-two Katie Kenyon, who was hit an estimated 12 times with the axe.

The court heard the 51-year-old killed Ms Kenyon on 22 April and buried her in a grave which he had dug in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, the day before.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years.

Burfield, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, changed his plea to guilty on the third day of his trial.

At the opening of the case on Monday, the court was told Burfield was arrested following the 33-year-old’s disappearance and interviewed four times.

He initially denied any knowledge of her whereabouts.

David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, told the court in Burfield’s penultimate interview, there was a “revelation” and his version of events changed.

He told police he had taken Ms Kenyon to Gisburn Forest in the Forest of Bowland for a picnic and she had “bet” him he could not hit a drink can with his axe.

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

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

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