Andrew Burfield, 51, also from Burnley, initially claimed the ax attack was an accident, but a post mortem revealed the mother-of-two had been hit around 12 times. He changed his plea on the third day of his trial at Preston Crown Court. Image: Katie Kenyon The jury heard that Burfield traveled to Gisburn Forest in Lancashire in April for a picnic with Miss Kenyon, 33, with whom he was in a relationship. He then claimed he had “bet” him that he couldn’t hit the coke can with his axe. Image: Andrew Burfield used this ax in the murder (Source: Lancashire Constabulary) A coroner described his claim that he hit Miss Kenyon by accident as “totally implausible”. Barefield then buried her body in a grave, which he had dug the day before her death, in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Jurors were told he sent messages to himself and her children from her phone after her death. Image: Police search the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire (April 2022) Miss Kenyon’s body was discovered by police a few days later. Burfield initially told officers he didn’t know where he was before later changing his version of events. Speaking outside court after Barefield changed his plea, Detective Inspector Allen Davies said: “Andrew Barefield is a cruel, vengeful man” who “chose to run a trial despite the overwhelming evidence in this case”.
