Andrew Burfield pleads guilty to murder of his ex Katie Kenyon after she told mum ‘I’m paranoid to death’

A MAN today admitted bludgeoning his former girlfriend to death before burying her in a grave he had chillingly dug the day before.

Andrew Burfield, 51, dramatically changed his plea on the third day of his trial - admitting he had killed mum-of-two Katie Kenyon.

Burfield had tried to cover up his tracks after murdering Katie, 33, - sending messages to himself and her children from her phone after the horror murder.

Katie had been missing for seven days before her body was found in woodland - having been struck 12 times with an axe.

Burfield's trial heard he killed Katie, of Padiham, Burnley, on April 22 and buried her body in a grave, which he had dug the day before her death, in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.

The mum had previously sent messages revealing how scared she was of Burfield, texting her mum: "I’m paranoid to death hes ganna do summert... couldn’t sleepall night xxxx [sic]".

Just weeks later, the mum was killed by sick Burfield - who then drafted fake texts purporting to be from Katie to her daughter's dad and to her son.

One alleged fake text to Katie's mum read: "This is the bravest thing I’ve ever had to do, I need to find some peace and sort my mind out.

"So with the 6k Andy gave me to pay the dept off Im being free for a wile until I figure all this s*** out."

The trial had previously heard Burfield had consistently denied knowing where Katie was, despite being quizzed by cops four times.

But in his penultimate interview there was a "revelation" and his version of events changed, prosecutor David McLachlan KC said.

Burfield, from Burnley, told police he had taken Katie, 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 discovered by police on April 29 - seven days after she was reported missing.

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