Girl, 13, remanded in custody accused of murder of ‘lovely’ woman and arson
The teenager was charged by Northamptonshire Police on Tuesday night after an inquiry into the death of 43-year-old Marta Bednarczyk.
A 13-year-old girl has appeared in court charged with murder and arson after the body of a woman was found in a house in Northamptonshire.
The teenager, who appeared in the dock clutching a teddy bear, was remanded in custody at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with the murder of mother-of-three Marta Bednarczyk, whose family said her death will “haunt us forever”.
Police have said the 43-year-old victim, whose body was discovered at a property in Newcomen Road, Wellingborough, shortly after 3am on Monday, is believed to have died as a result of sharp force injury.
The girl, who cannot be named because of her age, also faces a charge of arson with intent to endanger life at the address in Newcomen Road.
She spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth during a four-minute hearing before three magistrates, and was remanded into secure detention accommodation.
Ordering the girl to appear before Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking KC at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon, chairman of the bench Kevin Walsh told the girl she was being remanded in custody because of the nature of the charges.
He told the teenager: “You are going to be seen by a judge in the Crown Court at two o’clock.”
Judge Lucking, who heard legal submissions lasting around 15 minutes, also remanded the girl to be held in youth detention until a plea and trial preparation hearing at the Crown Court on April 11.
Forensic officers are continuing inquiries at the property in Newcomen Road, which was attended by firefighters in the early hours of Monday.
A section of the street, comprising terraced homes, and near an Aldi supermarket and a Matalan shop, remained behind police tape on Wednesday, with multiple uniformed officers and marked cars at the scene, along with a fire service car.
Releasing a tribute through the force on Wednesday, Ms Bednarczyk’s family said she was a loving mother and a supportive friend who moved to England from Poland 15 years ago.
They said: “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.”
