Man, 62, jailed after murdering Hungarian woman and hiding body in shed

Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz in December 2024 in Bolton after randomly meeting her at a shop on Chorley Old Road and inviting her back to his house.

He then killed her and dumped her body in a locked shed in his garden.

Barlow, 62, of Pedder Street, was convicted after a three-week trial with the jury returning its guilty verdict at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of twenty years behind bars.

Mariann, 55, originally from Hungary, when she was reported missing on December 15.

She was reported missing on the Sunday having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.

During the search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again.

After Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed and, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.

Barlow was charged with murder, which he denied.

He also denied any contact with Mariann but admitted during the trial he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.

Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley, who oversaw the searches, said: “We made extensive efforts to locate Mariann, including house-to-house enquiries, several media appeals, searching empty buildings and open areas conducted by specially trained officers, and reviewing CCTV.

“We also engaged with the Hungarian community and had our appeals translated into Hungarian.

“We never gave up hope and followed up every line of enquiry, every reported sighting but something didn’t feel quite right.

Read more: Madeleine McCann prime suspect to be freed from German prison in weeks

Read more: Self-proclaimed 'Nazi' teen who amassed deadly weapons stash 'for school shoot-up' locked up

“The big breakthrough came from our neighbourhood team who saw Mariann with Barlow on CCTV outside a shop – their enquiries led them to finding a photo of Barlow outside his house on Google Maps.

“He was originally spoken to as a witness but during further house-to-house enquiries a neighbour reported hearing a scream from his house and we went back to arrest him.

“At that point we made the harrowing discovery and the murder investigation started.

"We would like to thank members of the local Bolton community who spoke to our officers, helped with our search or shared our appeals.

“Our thoughts today are with Mariann and her family and friends, who finally have justice.”

'Harrowing'

Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning, the OIC for the case, said: “This was a harrowing investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.

“Our thoughts continue to be with Mariann’s family during this difficult time. Despite the deeply distressing nature of the trial, they consistently demonstrated dignity.

“I also felt for the officers who found Mariann – many of them had spent the previous week searching for her and then discovered her body.

“Whilst officers never know from each working day to the next what they will face, this is not an everyday occurrence, and I commend their resilience.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in our communities and will continue to work tirelessly to uphold justice.

“Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.

“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him – that could not have been further from reality.”

'Unspeakable crime'

Rebecca Macaulay-Addison, Specialist Prosecutor for CPS North West’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz and stripped her of her clothes, before callously disposing of her body in his shed.

“He took steps to prevent Ms Borocz’s body being found at his address by lying to his friend and cancelling his cleaner so neither would attend his house. When police spoke to him as part of their missing person enquiries, he lied to them also denying he had ever met her.

“When Ms Borocz’s body was found in his shed, he claimed to have no knowledge of her being there, nor any involvement in her death. He has shown no remorse for his actions and continually changed his account.

“Having heard the compelling evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service, the jury found Barlow guilty of murder.

“Our thoughts remain with Ms Borocz’s family for the loss they have endured, and we hope today’s conviction will provide some sense of justice for this unspeakable crime.”