Canterbury Crown Court
A chilling tale of deception and violence concluded at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, March 13, 2025, as Maureen Rickards, 50, was convicted of murdering her husband, 65-year-old Jeremy Rickards, and concealing his body in their St Martin’s Road garden.
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The verdict followed a complex investigation that began when Jeremy Rickards was reported missing by a concerned family member on July 5, 2024. Initially, Maureen Rickards claimed her husband had travelled to Saudi Arabia for work and tragically died there. However, police investigations revealed no record of him leaving the country, raising serious suspicions.
The search for Jeremy Rickards took a grim turn on July 11, 2024, when his body was discovered buried in the garden of their Canterbury home. This discovery followed Maureen Rickards’ arrest for fraud, after CCTV footage showed her using her husband’s bank card in local shops between June 20 and 30.
Forensic analysis revealed that Jeremy Rickards had suffered five fatal stab wounds to his chest, as well as evidence of earlier, non-fatal injuries inflicted over the preceding weeks. Pathological findings, combined with mobile phone analysis, suggested he had last been alive around June 8, 2024, the date of his final mobile phone top-up.
The investigation uncovered a disturbing pattern of domestic abuse. Witnesses reported seeing Jeremy Rickards with facial bruising at a Canterbury pub on May 17, 2024, where he claimed to have been involved in a car accident. Furthermore, video clips found on Maureen Rickards’ phone captured her verbally and physically abusing her husband between late May and early June.
Evidence also emerged that Jeremy Rickards had briefly moved out of their home in early June, during which time he was observed with numerous injuries.
Detectives believe the murder occurred on or around June 9, 2024, a date Maureen Rickards falsely provided to a relative in an attempt to cover up her crime. Crime scene investigators determined that the victim’s body had been stored in a cupboard inside the property before being moved to the garden.
Adding to the macabre details, gardeners who visited the property on June 26, 2024, reported being instructed by Maureen Rickards to leave the cut grass under some bushes – the very spot where Jeremy Rickards’ body was later found.
Maureen Rickards now faces sentencing next month. The conviction marks the culmination of a thorough investigation by Kent Police, who meticulously pieced together the evidence to bring the perpetrator to justice. The case has left the local community in shock, highlighting the tragic consequences of domestic violence.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Colin McKeen said:
‘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.
‘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. 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.’