A policeman who went to a bungalow in Felixstowe where the body of a 67-year-old woman was found with a knife sticking out of her back found blood on the front door handle and on a side path leading to the back door, a court has heard.

PC Matthew Hassall told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court that when he and a colleague entered the property in Gosford Way in April last year they found 61-year-old Shaun Ryan smoking a cigarette in the hallway and noticed he was bleeding from both hands.

They also noticed blood on the floor, walls, door frame and on pictures, said Pc Hassell, who was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of Ryan, who denies murdering his wife Jean Ryan.

The court has heard that police officers who went to the couple’s home on April 13 last year after Mrs Ryan was heard screaming and shouting “no” in a 999 call found her dead body in a bedroom with a knife sticking out of her back.

There was no sign of a pulse and when the officer told his colleague “its a murder,” Ryan had tried to get past the other officer, who was waiting with him in the hall, into the kitchen.

He had thrown punches and sworn at the officers as they tried to restrain him and they were forced to call for assistance.

Ryan allegedly told the officers: “She deserved it, lying bitch” and mentioned his wife lying to him about money.

He also allegedly said: “I want the jewellery back. She won’t need it in the afterlife” and: “She won’t be bothering me again.”

Mr Gair said that in addition to the fatal stab wound to her back, Mrs Ryan had suffered multiple stab wounds to her head, chest, abdomen, arms and legs and other injuries which were probably caused by punching or kicking.

The court has heard that the defence don’t dispute that Ryan caused his wife’s death and the issue for the jury would be his mental state at the time.

The trial continues.