Three in court to deny Catherine Wells-Burr murder charge

The boyfriend of a graduate whose body was found inside a burning car yesterday appeared in court to deny her murder.

Rafal Nowak, 31 was joined in the dock by ex-girlfriend Anna Julia Lagwinowicz, 32 and Tadevsz Dmytryszyn, 38.

The three Polish nationals are charged with the murder of Catherine Wells-Burr, 23, whose remains were discovered beside the A358 near Ilminster, South Somerset, in September. They spoke only to confirm their name and enter not guilty pleas to a charge of murder between September 10 and 13 last year, during a hearing a Bristol Crown Court.

Miss Wells-Burr’s devastated family, who were present during the two-hour long hearing, walked out of the court room after the not guilty pleas were given.

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Nowak, of Chard, South Somerset, spoke through an interpreter in the dock and was dressed in a fitted black v-neck sweatshirt and jeans. Lagwinowicz and Dmytryszyn, who also used the Polish interpreter, wore baggy hooded tops to court.

The three will now stand trial for the murder in front of a jury, a process expected to last up to eight weeks. Miss Wells-Burr died an “unnatural death” before her body was found burned in her red Ford Focus car at 6.10am on September 12.

Defending, Raymond Tully for Lagwinowicz, Peter Blair for Nowak and Patrick Mason for Dmytryszyn, did not make applications for bail.

Mr Justice Lindblom told the trio: “The trial in this case will begin on Wednesday April 10, 2013. There will be a further hearing on March 18.