A man allegedly stabbed to death by his wife and found stuffed inside a holdall under grass cuttings had been spotted with a bruised and swollen face at his local Wetherspoons shortly before his killing, a jury has been told.

Jurors have heard that several people, including staff at The Thomas Ingoldsby pub in Canterbury, had seen geologist Jeremy Rickards in a "bruised and battered" state prior to his alleged murder in the summer of last year.

Known as ‘The Ruddles Man’ due to his preferred choice of drink, the 65-year-old, described as "quiet, frail and vulnerable" had even been asked about his injuries during a visit to his local on May 17.

Giving evidence at the trial of murder accused Maureen Rickards, bar worker Charley Hayes told the jury the pub regular had "quite severe" facial bruising and swelling.

She noted that he was "unusually" wearing sunglasses, and that he also showed her an injury to his arm.

"On going over to him he was very, very injured on his face. His eye on the right was very swollen and bruised," Ms Hayes told the court.

"He told me he had been in a car accident a couple of days ago (sic). I questioned him if he was driving. He said no, he was a passenger in a friend's car."

Ms Hayes could not recall his response when she asked if he had gone to hospital.

But she said Mr Rickards then revealed a "quite big bruise" to his forearm.

The court heard the last sighting of Mr Rickards had been on June 7, and the bar worker contacted police after recognising his photo in their subsequent missing person appeal.

Detailing his habits as a regular, Ms Hayes said he would visit "almost every day" for a couple of hours, sitting at his usual table having a pint and popping outside for a cigarette.

"He would normally come in in the afternoon and drink Ruddles. He was a usual gentleman that came in and kept himself to himself," added Ms Hayes.

"He wouldn't drink to get drunk but to enjoy social interaction....He would never get drunk in the pub.

"He would usually come in on his own and sit on his own....He was quiet, very quiet. He would leave without saying goodbye."

Ms Hayes also told the jury during cross-examination by defence barrister Ian Henderson KC that he would "never cause trouble" and "wasn't one to down his drink".

It is alleged that Mr Rickards, who was approximately 5ft 9in and weighed a little over seven stone, was repeatedly stabbed to death by his 50-year-old estranged wife in early June after suffering earlier incidents of domestic violence at her hands.

His "significantly" decomposing remains, wrapped in bin bags and placed inside a nylon-type fabric holdall, were discovered by police at Rickards's home in St Martin's Road, Canterbury, on July 11 last year after he had been reported missing by their daughter.

The prosecution allege that having murdered her husband some time after June 8, she initially concealed his body in a cupboard while he was still bleeding from his injuries.

Rickards is accused of then transferring his body into the large bag and moving him down two flights of stairs from her "extremely cluttered" loft room at the multi-occupancy terraced house.

The holdall was then placed in an overgrown area at the rear of the garden and hidden under lawn cuttings.

Although in an advance state of decomposition when finally found, a pathologist was able to conclude Mr Rickards suffered five "definite" stab wounds to his chest.

Two measuring 11cm deep had been inflicted with severe force, it was said, and having penetrated his heart caused rapid bleeding and death.

They were among a catalogue of other injuries revealed during a post-mortem examination, including two further possible stab wounds to his neck, as well as a fractured nose and spine vertebrae, and a "sharp force" injury to the back of his head in which three metal fragments consistent with a blade tip were embedded.

Evidence of neck compression fractures having been inflicted during two different time periods, with one episode occurring between five and 10 weeks before he had been killed, was also found by medical experts.

Mr Rickards had also sustained multiple rib fractures, including "old and healed" ones consistent with historical blunt force trauma, the court was told.

Home Office pathologist Anna Biddlestone explained that the two deepest chest wounds would have required severe force - on a scale of mild, moderate and severe - for a knife to penetrate the breastbone.

The fact that one also went through a rib bone meant that the force used to do that was in itself "towards the severe end of the spectrum", she added.

Asked by prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC about the more recent fractures, in particular those to the ribs and neck, Dr Biddlestone said it could not be ascertained whether they had occurred pre-death, while Mr Rickards was dying or after he had died.

But she told the jury during cross-examination that those to the ribs had not been present long enough for the healing process to have started.

Nor was it likely they had been caused by "folding him up and putting inside a bag", added the expert.

In respect of the injuries found to both sides of his neck, Dr Biddlestone said the "number and distribution" of fractures were "more common" with manual pressure, and unlikely to have been caused in a fall.

"It would need to be more than one fall," she added.

However, Dr Biddlestone agreed that she could not exclude the possibility the recent fractures were caused after death, as death was “unfolding” or, with regards to the ribs, while the body was being moved.

Rickards denies murder between June 7 and July 11, and the trial continues.