Maureen Rickards stabbed and buried her husband Jeremy in their Kent garden after a violent marriage

A sleepy neighbourhood in Canterbury became the backdrop for one of the most gruesome crimes in Kent’s recent history, as police uncovered the dismembered body of Jeremy Rickards, 65, buried in his own back garden. His wife, Maureen Rickards, 50, has now been convicted of his murder, revealing a chilling tale of domestic violence, deception, and death.

The case, dubbed the “Body in the Garden,” began unravelling after Jeremy was reported missing by concerned friends and relatives. Officers arrived at the couple’s home on Six Mile Hill, where a foul stench wafting from the garden instantly signalled something was terribly wrong. That smell, so overpowering it reportedly made several officers ill, led them to a patch of disturbed soil—and beneath it, a nightmarish discovery.

Jeremy’s remains had been hacked apart and stuffed into canvas bags. Grass cuttings and garden waste had been heaped on top, a futile attempt by Maureen to disguise the horror hidden in plain sight. The remains had lain there for six days before police arrived.

The court heard how the murder followed years of marital turmoil. Jeremy, described by some as quiet and reclusive, had endured years of abuse at the hands of his wife. Prosecutors presented damning audio recordings in which Maureen could be heard berating and threatening him. Her aggression wasn’t limited to words—she ultimately stabbed him five times in what prosecutors called “a deliberate and savage” attack.

Neighbours described hearing shouting from the home in the days leading up to Jeremy’s disappearance, though none imagined the nightmare unfolding just metres away. One local resident said, “I thought they’d had another row, but nothing prepared us for this. It’s horrifying.”

In the trial, Maureen Rickards showed little emotion. Her defence claimed she had acted out of desperation in a toxic and deteriorating relationship, but the jury found her guilty after hearing the methodical way in which she disposed of her husband’s body.

“The use of canvas bags and the attempt to conceal the remains with garden waste suggest a calculated effort to hide the evidence,” the prosecutor told the court. “This wasn’t a moment of passion. It was a premeditated killing.”

The investigation unearthed a harrowing picture of domestic abuse flipped on its head. Friends of Jeremy described him as fearful and withdrawn, often seen with unexplained bruises. He never formally reported the abuse, leaving many to wonder whether this tragedy could have been avoided.

In the wake of the conviction, police praised the community for coming forward with information, noting that even small suspicions helped them piece together the timeline of Jeremy’s final days.

Detective Inspector Caroline Marks, who led the investigation, said: “This was a deeply distressing case. No one deserves to die like Jeremy did, and no community should have to live with such horror on their doorstep.”

As Maureen awaits sentencing, likely to face a lengthy prison term, the people of Canterbury continue to grapple with the chilling truth that behind the hedges of an ordinary home, a nightmare was playing out in silence.