THE couple who run the farm where a murdered Polish dairy worker was employed have spoken of their sorrow over the death of the “hard-working, reliable” mother-of-one.

Police yesterday confirmed that the body they found in a shallow grave behind a cow byre at New Moor Farm, Walworth Gate, near Darlington, on Saturday night, was that of 27-year-old Danuta Domagalska.

Police believe her brother, Piotr Lawniczak, strangled her after they argued about money. Police suspect he then dumped her body before lying about her whereabouts to her husband, Marcin, and farm operators John and Sue Archer.

After police were called, Mr Lawniczak went missing. He was found hanged in nearby woodland days later.

Mr Archer said yesterday: “Danuta was a hard-working, cheerful woman, who didn’t have a day off work in all the time we knew her.

“She was very reliable. She didn’t have the best English.

A lot of communication was done through her brother because it was easier that way.

“The times when he was on holiday we managed fine. She had a bit of a sparkle and she could take the mickey out of you if you got things wrong.”

She worked at the farm for three years, milking the cows and looking after the young calves. Only the day before her disappearance, she helped to film a promotional video for the farm.

Talking about her 31-year-old brother, Mr Archer said: “Being her brother, he was fairly similar – he was hardworking and reliable. He had the ability to fix anything or try to fix anything.”

Mr Lawniczak worked as a senior herdsman and tractor driver, but latterly ran his own haulage business. The couple were due to speak to him about a new role in the coming weeks.

They said they were disgusted and disappointed by his actions and said it conflicted with their memories of him.

Even though Mrs Domagalska had an exemplary attendance record, her brother told the Archers she and her husband had started working alternate shifts at another farm making pies and cakes.

Mrs Archer confronted Mr Lawniczak a week after Mrs Domagalska’s disappearance.

She said: “As the week unfolded and I thought about it more, I realised it was totally out of character.

“I saw Marcin and he kept pacing up and down and looking over the fence. It didn’t make sense.

“Marcin is distraught. I went into Darlington on the Thursday with my daughter to get away for the day. I jumped out of the car and straight away I saw Marcin.

He was devastated.”

Police completed their inquiries at the farm yesterday and officers are due to fly to Poland to speak to the two families next week.

On Tuesday, Mr Domagalska laid flowers at the spot where his wife was found. He has now returned to Poland to be with their child, Kuba, who starts school next month.