A 34-year-old man has denied murdering a retired dock worker who was found collapsed outside his Ipswich address three years ago.
Rhys Burroughs appeared in custody before Ipswich Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
Burroughs, formerly of Colchester Road, Ipswich, is accused of murdering 74-year-old Clive Wyard. He also faces a second charge of manslaughter.
Burroughs spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth, and to deny both charges.
He has yet to be arraigned on a third charge of attempted robbery.
Mr Wyard was found collapsed on his driveway, in Valley Road, at 7.15am on Friday, July 20, 2018.
The retired Felixstowe dock worker was taken to Ipswich Hospital but died 12 days later.
A grandfather-of-nine, Mr Wyard had left the Royal George pub shortly after midnight and made the 20-minute walk to his home, near the junction of Westerfield Road.
He sustained injuries to his head and face, including black eyes, a cut lip, a deep cut to his cheek, and other cuts to his body.
A post mortem examination concluded that Mr Wyard died as a result of a severe head injury, having sustained a skull fracture and a bleed on the brain.
In March, Suffolk police announced that Burroughs had been summonsed to appear before Suffolk Magistrates’ Court to be formally charged.
On May 20, magistrates sent the matter straight to the crown court, where Burroughs appeared the same afternoon and was remanded in custody until this week's hearing.
Judge Martyn Levett had previously set a provisional trial date for January 11, 2022.
On Wednesday, Judge Levett fixed a new date for the three to four-week trial to begin on June 20, 2022.
The inquiry into Mr Wyard's death was conducted by the joint major investigation team at Suffolk and Norfolk police.
The investigation led to approval from the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against Burroughs.
Speaking on the two-year anniversary of Mr Wyard's death in July 2020, his children, Jo, Des and Jackie, said: "To everyone that knew him, he was a gentle, humble, loving, patient and selfless man, who always gave without expecting anything in return."
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