A 13-year-old girl has appeared in court where she was accused of murdering Marta Bednarczyk, 43, before setting fire to her home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
A schoolgirl accused of murdering a “loving mother” before setting fire to her house clutched a teddy bear in court today.
The 13-year-old was arrested after Marta Bednarczyk, 43, was found with stab wounds in her home in Wellingborough, Northants., in the early hours of Monday. The family of the Polish-born mum-of-three have since paid tribute to “the matriarch of the family”.
The teen appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court this morning, speaking only to confirm her name during the four-minute hearing. Wearing matching grey jogging bottoms and top, she sat clutching a yellow teddy bear.
Members of Ms Bednarczyk’s family attended the hearing and could be heard sobbing while the charges were read out. The accused’s solicitor, Liam Muir confirmed her name, which cannot be given for legal reasons, during the brief appearance. She stands charged with murder and arson with attempt to endanger life at an address in Newcomen Road.
She was remanded into a youth detention accommodation before appearing at Northampton Crown Court for a pre-trial preparation hearing this afternoon, where she clutched the same teddy bear and spoke only to confirm her name, nodding throughout the hearing to confirm she understood proceedings.
Judge Adrienne Lucking KC remanded the youth to secure youth detention accommodation and she is next due to appear at court on April 11 for a plea hearing. Addressing the girl, Judge Lucking said: “You’ll next be back at court on the 11th of April. in the meantime your lawyers will need to speak to you.”
Crime scenes remain in place as work continues to gather evidence following the death. Forensic teams continued to examine the smart terrace house and were seen taking objects away in evidence bags for further tests. The road remained cordoned off but residents living nearby expressed shock at the killing. One said: “This is a close knit community full of families and older people. This awful crime to a lovely mother has shocked us all.”
The family of Ms Bednarczyk issued a tribute saying: “Marta was the matriarch of our family. She was a very caring woman, a loving mother, and a supportive friend who could never do enough for those she loved. She moved from Poland to the UK in 2010 – first to London and then to Wellingborough in 2012, where she worked in a warehouse in order to bring money home for her family.
“She was engaged to her long-term partner Eugene and had a small but tight network of friends and family. She was so loved by all of us and the tragic circumstances in which she died will haunt us forever. We don’t think we will ever come to terms with it.
“We are heartbroken at the thought of never seeing our lovely Marta again. She will be missed beyond words, and she will never be forgotten. Finally, we’d like to thank the police for the support they have provided us with since Sunday. They have been very kind and for that, we are really grateful.”
