A 58-year-old woman sobbed into a handkerchief when she made her first court appearance yesterday charged with murdering her partner on Easter Sunday.

Miroslawa Dawidowicz was returned to the cells at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court in handcuffs after the short hearing at which she spoke only to give her name and address and confirm her date of birth.

Dawidowicz was charged with the murder of Csezlaw Zawadzski, 59, in Washington Street, Girlington, Bradford. Mr Zawadzski, believed to be Dawidowicz’s long term partner, was found with fatal stab wounds at a terraced property in the street.

Police and paramedics were called to the house shortly before 12.30pm where they found a badly injured man. Despite attempts to save him he died at the scene.

Dawidowicz was arrested by murder- squad detectives on Sunday and charged with murder on Tuesday.

She was detained in custody overnight and brought to the remand court for 10am yesterday.

Dawidowicz was led up from the cells by two security officers.

She was allowed to be seated in the secure dock and was assisted throughout the proceedings by a Polish interpreter.

Dawidowicz, who has short brown hair, wore a dark round-necked sweater with a white shirt underneath.

She wept throughout the hearing, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief and wiping them on her sleeve.

Vanessa Jones, for the prosecution, told the Bench that the defendant would be sent directly to Bradford Crown Court.

“She appears in custody today and she will remain in custody until the hearing at the Crown Court tomorrow,” Mrs Jones said.

She said any matter of bail would then be considered by a judge.

Magistrates told the defendant: “Miss Dawidowicz, you are being sent to the Crown Court at Bradford for the offence of murder. You will attend there tomorrow, Thursday 24th of April, at 10am. This will be for a preliminary hearing and you are committed in custody pursuant to Section 115 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. That is all, thank you.”

Dock officers put the handcuffs back on Dawidowicz and she was escorted down the steps to the cells.