Killer spouse hid physique of useless husband in bushes of their backyard | EUROtoday

A remorseless spouse has been discovered responsible of killing her husband and hiding his physique underneath bushes of their backyard.

Jeremy Rickards, who was 65, was discovered useless behind the property in St Martin’s Road, Canterbury on 11 July 2024.

His spouse, Maureen Rickards, 50, had claimed he had gone to Saudi Arabia for work and had died there after he was reported lacking by household.

But a jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard how she had directed oblivious gardeners to dump grass underneath her shrubs understanding it will assist cowl his physique, which had been wrapped in binbags and put into a big canvas bag.

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Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Colin McKeen mentioned: “This was a horrific murder of a man who we believe had been a supportive husband to his wife, despite her violence towards him.

“Sadly, our investigation suggests that, rather than being a one-off incident, Maureen Rickards had attacked her husband on a number of occasions before this fatal assault.”

Police discovered no report of Jeremy Rickards leaving the nation and located CCTV of Maureen Rickards utilizing his financial institution card in retailers to purchase cleansing merchandise.

She even messaged their daughter utilizing her husband’s cellphone to say he had arrived in Saudi Arabia. Their daughter was involved concerning the fashion of messages and requested if her mom had taken over her father’s cellphone.

After Rickards messaged her daughter to say that her father had taken his personal life in Saudi Arabia, she reported her father as lacking to the police.

Rickards was arrested for fraud with police looking out their household dwelling to search out her husband’s physique hidden within the backyard.

When arrested, Rickards saved up the act, asking, “what body?”

He was discovered to have been strangled, having suffered 5 stab wounds to his chest, in addition to different accidents related to a marketing campaign of home abuse.

Shortly earlier than his demise, Mr Rickards had been seen with bruising to his face in a neighborhood pub and had advised a involved member of employees he had been in a automobile accident.

The husband and spouse lived in a personal property and different tenants within the constructing noticed Mr Rickards injured and described him as being in a susceptible state, with some reporting shouting and sounds per somebody or one thing being hit. On one event, when requested about his accidents, he mentioned, “Maureen was in a bad mood with me”.

Mr Rickards was final seen on 7 June and, after he was killed, a tenant heard one thing heavy being hauled down the steps at evening and noticed Maureen Rickards within the backyard.

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Video clips discovered on Rickards’ cellphone confirmed her shouting at her husband and recorded the sounds of her beating him.

Pools of blood discovered inside the cabinet the place he was hidden had unfold with bloodstains additionally showing on the ceiling of the flat beneath.

Detectives imagine Maureen Rickards murdered her husband on or round 9 June, which was additionally the date she advised their daughter he had died in Saudi Arabia as she tried to cowl up the homicide.

Rickards was later charged together with his homicide and convicted by a jury on Thursday.

“She has never expressed any remorse for what she did and has repeatedly sought to frustrate the investigation and push blame onto others, including the victim himself,” Detective Inspector Colin McKeen mentioned.

“The jury has seen through her lies and she will now spend many years in prison.

“This case shows that domestic abuse, whether committed by a man or a woman, can escalate and become fatal and I urge anyone who is experiencing violence at the hands of their partner to report it to the police. We will listen to you, support you, and take action to protect you from harm.”

Rickards might be sentenced subsequent month.