Richard Satchwell 'gave the dog more respect' than wife Tina
Killer Richard Satchwell was yesterday branded a 'master manipulator ' who showed his wife's dog 'more respect' than the woman he murdered, as he was sentenced to life in prison.
The Central Criminal Court was also told that Satchwell, who has 14 previous convictions, intends to appeal against last week's unanimous jury verdict convicting him of Tina Satchwell's murder.
Tina's half-sister, Lorraine Howard, said in her victim impact statement that Satchwell had treated her sibling's body 'with such disrespect'. Tina's mother, Mary Collins, her half-sister, Lorraine Howard, Centre, and her cousin, Sarah Howard. Pic: Seán Dwyer 30/05/25
'The appalling way my sister was buried, wrapped in plastic, buried beneath soil and concrete, puts shivers down my spine every time I think about it,' Ms Howard said.
She went on to say that Satchwell 'showed Tina's dog in death more respect' by getting the animal 'cremated and making a shrine'.
She said Satchwell wanted Tina where he could have 'the ultimate control, within his home under the stairs'. Ms Howard added: 'He put us as a family through the ultimate hell of not knowing what had happened to Tina for years. Tina Satchwell. Pic: File
'He manipulated us as the master manipulator he is into believing she would one day return. Having taken her life, he didn't even have the decency to let us have her body and mourn her death, to bury her with the dignity she deserves.'
She added: 'I will never be able to forgive Richard Satchwell for what he has done.'
A second victim impact statement was read to the sentencing court by Tina's niece, Sarah Howard, who said her aunt was taken from them 'in the most tragic and violent way, murdered by someone who claimed to love her'. Lorraine Howard, half-sister of Tina Satchwell, and Sarah Howard, cousin of Tina Satchwell. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
'I cannot comprehend how someone who was supposed to love and protect her could do something so cruel,' she said.
'There are no words that can truly capture the pain and heartbreak this has caused me and my family. What happened to her has shaken me to my core.'
Sarah Howard went on to say: 'One of the things I don't think I will ever overcome is to find out that Richard Satchwell had put Tina in a chest freezer and then a few days later he texted me to offer me the freezer. Richard Satchwell. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
'To hear this just horrified me to think I could have taken it into my family home and used it. What sort of person can do that?'
The trial had heard that Satchwell told gardaí how he kept Tina's body in a chest freezer before burying her beneath their home.
He offered the same freezer to Sarah before advertising it on the buy-and-sell website DoneDeal as 'free to take away… just needs a clean' days after the murder.
Judge Paul McDermott sentenced Satchwell to life in prison and said it only remained for him to express his condolences to Tina's family.
The sentence was backdated to October 12, 2023, when the defendant went into custody. Brendan Grehan SC, for Satchwell, said he had taken instructions from his client, who asked him to say that he intends to appeal, insists that he never intended to kill Tina and that 'despite anything said in the trial, Tina was a lovely person'.
Satchwell's 14 previous convictions include larceny from a shop, theft and taking a chequebook containing 14 cheques from an employer.
Last Friday, he was found guilty of Tina's murder by the unanimous verdict of a Central Criminal Court jury.
The 12 jurors took nine hours and 28 minutes over four days to convict Satchwell, from Leicester in England, who is shortly due to turn 59.
Satchwell had pleaded not guilty to murdering 45-year-old Tina Satchwell, née Dingivan, at their home address at Grattan Street, Youghal, Co. Cork, between March 19 and 20, 2017, both dates inclusive.
The 6ft 2in truck driver had claimed that his 5ft 4in wife, who weighed eight stone, had launched an attack on him with a chisel and died during a struggle in which he either lacked the intent to kill her or was acting in self-defence.
Her cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletonised nature of her remains when they were eventually uncovered.
The jury, however, unanimously rejected his defence and agreed with the State's case that Satchwell was a 'cunning' murderer whose claims were 'nonsense' and had hidden his wife's body to ensure a cause of death would not be available.
The jury had watched video clips of a tearful Satchwell making televised appeals for Tina to come home, months after he murdered her and buried her in a grave dug almost one metre deep beneath the stairs of their house.
The panel agreed with the prosecution's case that Satchwell's narrative of how his wife died after he held her off by the belt of her bathrobe – the only account of her death they were given – was 'absolutely farcical' and had 'more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese'.
The trial heard that on March 24, 2017, Satchwell told gardaí that his wife had left their home four days earlier but that he had no concerns over her welfare, feeling she had left due to a deterioration in their relationship.
Satchwell formally reported Tina missing the following May, but her body was not discovered for over six years, when gardaí, in October 2023, conducted a second, invasive search of the Satchwell home and found her decomposed remains in a grave dug underneath the stairs.
When re-arrested on suspicion of Tina's murder after her body was removed from their home, Satchwell told gardaí his wife 'flew' at him with a chisel and that he fell backwards against the floor. He described her death, saying he had held her off by the belt of her bathrobe at her neck.
Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, submitted in her closing address that the Leicester native had woven 'a web of deceit' and continued his 'fabricated narrative' over the years.
Counsel said Satchwell's objective from the very outset was 'always to put everyone off the scent' and that this was done because he had murdered Tina.
Satchwell, the lawyer, submitted, was 'shamelessly brazen right up to the very end', when his wife's remains were discovered at the couple's home in Youghal.
She said Satchwell had described Tina as someone who could hold her own if she were attacked. However, she said it was very curious that Tina had not managed to 'scratch, bruise or draw blood' during the struggle between an eight-stone woman and the 6ft 2in man who was considerably heavier.
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Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Top garda Drew Harris reveals review into Michael Gaine and Satchwell probes
The Garda Commissioner has said that it may seem 'very obvious in hindsight' that Tina Satchwell was buried under the stairs of her Garda boss Drew Harris has confirmed that gardai are now set to launch a review of how the investigation into the murder of Ms Satchwell in Youghal, Co Cork was handled. He also spoke of a 'peer review' of how the current investigation into the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine has been handled to date. It comes after wife killer Richard Satchwell was sentenced to life in prison this week - following a five week trial which heard how her remains were ultimately discovered in a two foot grave under the stairs - following a second search of the home in October 2023. Speaking to reporters as 120 Gardaí were attested as sworn members of An Garda Síochána on Friday, Commissioner Harris said:'I've received reports obviously in respect of that investigation (Satchwell) and then a subsequent review which then led obviously now to the conviction. That's a positive outcome but we want to learn as well from the course of the investigation and the decisions that were made and the conduct of the inquiries but also then the conduct of the physical search as well.'Mr Harris said the original 2017 missing persons investigation - which included a search of the Satchwell home in June of that year that missed the remains under the stairs, did 'harvest a huge amount of information.' 'That information then was very useful in the subsequent re-examination in the incident room. The ability then to forensically analyse things around finances but also then communications and all of those were crucial,' he about whether initial 2017 investigation - which Satchwell's trial heard saw over 10 gardai search the home from top to bottom - and included a forensic expert searching for blood spatter failed, Commissioner Harris said:'So I would say the initial investigation was hamstrung because of the lack of information in comparison to the later re-examination of this matter. There was far more information to hand which gave us real grounds then for actual suspicion and enquiries.'The Garda boss went on to say that it may seem obvious now that Tina was buried under the stairs - but cited the lack of information investigators had at the time. "I know when you look at hindsight some of these things can seem very obvious. But in the moment, what was known, what was being said in terms of sightings, what was being said in terms of the victim by her husband, and one has to recognise the victimology that was being applied here. 'His suppression of her, the coercive control that obviously she was subject to for many years, her isolation in that particular community - that meant that there was very few other people that we were able to speak to that were able to give a victimology and an idea of what Tina Satchwell's life was like. So it was a complex investigation,' he said. "Yes, the house was searched in 2017. Forensic scientists also accompanied that search, it was subject to thorough examination in effect looking for blood spatter - none was found,' he whether he was satisfied with the manner in which the June 2017 search was handled or whether more could have been done - with gardai at the time not utilising a cadaver dog and with the fact that journalists who had been in the home prior had noticed a terrible smell, Commissioner Harris said:'I think it's very early for me to make a judgement on that. I want to see the papers and I think we want to review that ourselves. We have the expertise within the organisation and obviously then we will be reporting that to the Minister and community policing authority. ' I do think there are definitely lessons that we wish to learn from all of these homicides with missing persons which convert in time to homicide investigations. "We want to be sure going forward when we see a missing person report that we actually have an investigative mindset around a crime also being committed,' he Commissioner also mentioned the ongoing investigation into the murder of Kenmare farmer Michael Gaine - and said even that case is being peer reviewed to allow officers to better understand investigations of this nature. His comments come amid concerns that gardai discovered Mr Gaine's remains inside a slurry tank on his land - seven weeks after they had already searched it and seemingly missed them. 'What I can say we have done already is we reviewed all our missing person reports nationally that was done last year, we found no other suspected homicide cases. So that's the position we're in at the moment. Following the Michael Gaine, or in the middle of the Michael Gaine investigation we're subjecting that to a peer review because I do think there's learning for us around those who would commit crime and then attempt to dispose of the body and often are successful in disposing of the body.'The Commissioner was speaking as 120 new members were added to the Garda force - and spoke of a new memorial in Templemore for Garda Kevin Flatley - who was killed in a horror road collision in North Co Dublin last month.'It is obviously a very positive day for all of us, we're very pleased to see it. It's also a poignant day as has already been said you would have seen that Garda Kevin Flatley's name is remembered here, his name is now added to the memorial. So I have to say when I saw that this morning it was a very poignant moment for his colleagues here as well. We all remember Kevin and his service,' he 89 of the new garda members are male and 31 are female - 22 of which were born outside of the State and originate from the likes of Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, England, India, Italy, Moldova, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain and Northern Ireland. Gardai in a press release stated that 74 of the new recruits are headed to the Dublin region, 17 to the Eastern Region, 11 to the Southern Region and 18 to the North Western Region. There are now 14,318 members in the Garda force - and a further 359 recruits are scheduled to enter the Garda College next at the attestation, Commissioner Drew Harris told those gathered:"I'm delighted to be here on what is a proud and important day for you all. I'd like to welcome your families and loved ones to the Garda College for what is a special occasion for you all. "It is a day to celebrate your achievements and it marks the start of an exciting career.' The Commissioner reminded the new probationers:"Earlier you swore an updated oath to the people of Ireland. To serve them with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality in a manner that protects and vindicates human rights, upholds the Constitution and the laws, and accords equal respect to all people."The additions to the Oath of protecting and vindicating human rights, and adhering to the Code of Ethics, reflect the significant responsibility you now have to live up to, the ethos of the first Garda Commissioner, Michael Staines. An ethos that has guided An Garda Síochána for over 100 years as a community-focused, unarmed police service.'"You will support victims of crime. You will be a shoulder to lean on for those experiencing loss. You will also be a light of hope to others, providing safety and protection. I wish you the very best in your career and I hope you enjoy the celebrations today.'
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Two boys who raped teenage girl at Limerick Racecourse sentenced to six years in detention
TWO BOYS WHO raped a teenage girl in a car at Limerick Racecourse when they were aged 13 and 15 years old have each been sentenced to six years in detention. A third defendant (now 18) who was found guilty of aiding and abetting the rapes by moving the car in which it occurred was jailed for three-and-a-half years. The daytime attack against the girl involved humiliation and degradation and was committed by offenders of a very young age, the Central Criminal Court heard. The teenage rapists and their families did not accept the verdicts of the jury and there was a heavy garda presence in court for sentencing today. Justice Paul McDermott said that if the boys – who are all cousins – had been adults at the time of the offending, the headline sentence for the rape offences would have been in the range of 15 years to life imprisonment. 'This was a 16-year-old intoxicated girl in a vulnerable situation subjected to rape and sexual assault,' he said. 'She was raped one after the other by [the two boys] and in the course of these rapes, she was sexually assaulted.' The girl was repeatedly saying no during the assaults. Further indignity was heaped upon her by video footage being taken of the incident, the judge said. Handing down sentence, Justice McDermott noted there was very little to be said in mitigation for the boys, as they have not expressed remorse or any understanding of the harm caused to the complainant. They must be sentenced as juveniles under the Children Act, in which detention is a last resort, the court heard. The judge accepted the third defendant, who aided and abetted the rapes, has taken some responsibility for his involvement but struggles to understand it. He noted they have no previous convictions and have been subject to some childhood trauma, with mental health difficulties in their families. They had a lack of understanding in the areas of sexual relations and consent, the court heard. Justice McDermott sentenced the two rapists to a sentence of seven-and-a-half years of detention, with the final 18 months suspended on a number of conditions, including that they engage in sexual offending programmes and have no contact whatsoever with the complainant. The judge noted this means that part of their sentence will be served in prison. He sentenced the third defendant to five years in jail as he is now over the age of 18 years. He suspended the final 18 months of this sentence on the same conditions. The three boys stood trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork earlier this year, with two of the boys (now aged 16 and 17) found guilty of sexually assaulting and raping the then 16-year-old girl in a car at the racecourse on 26 December 2022. They were 13 and 15 years old at the time. The third boy (now 18) was found guilty by the jury of four counts of aiding and abetting the rapes and sexual assaults following the six-week trial. The court heard he moved the car during the course of the attack. He was aged 15 at the time. He was acquitted of one count of false imprisonment. Video clips were taken of the incident by one of the boys, including one clip of the girl walking away from the car after she had been raped. When she found her friends, she was extremely upset and immediately told them what had happened to her, the court heard. Advertisement The boys denied raping the girl, telling gardaí differing versions of events including one who said he was in Dublin on the day in question. They all eventually claimed it was a consensual encounter. Detective Garda Lisa O'Regan told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, that the girl was socialising with her friends at the racecourse on the day in question. She was, in her own words, 'really drunk' when she got chatting to the three boys, Kelly said. The court heard she agreed to go for a walk with one of the boys because she wanted to kiss him. Instead, she found herself in a car belonging to the father of one of the boys, where she was sexually assaulted and raped by two of them. The third boy moved the car at one point during the attack. The girl said she told the boys 'No' repeatedly and that she was on her period and had a tampon in. She said she told them she needed to go back to her friends, but they repeatedly said no and that she was 'fine'. When medically examined later that evening, she was found to have extensive bleeding and bruising. She had not had sexual intercourse before prior to the attack. The girl (now aged 18) was not in court for the sentence hearing in Dublin. In a victim statement read out on her behalf by counsel, she described her fear and anxiety in the aftermath of the attack, during which she was 'begging them to get off me'. 'At the age of 16, I had my innocence stripped away from me,' she said. 'These two (boys) took what they wanted with no regrets.' She said her parents had to hear every 'vulgar' and 'gruesome' detail of what happened to her and that she will 'forever have guilt on my shoulders – not just for how it affected me, but everyone around me'. 'They not only took away the rest of my childhood, they took away the rest of my life,' she said. 'At the age of 16, I was raped. This is always something I will have to carry around. 'But what I can do is live with the fact that I told the truth.' The court heard the boys have no previous convictions. They are all in detention or custody since the guilty verdicts were handed down last April. The case was previously adjourned for a number of weeks for preparation of probation reports. Cathal McGreal, BL, defending the youngest of the three boys, said his client was then aged 13 and had no previous convictions. He said that a report before the court described him as mild-mannered, introverted and vulnerable from a mental health point of view. Counsel said his client made admissions and described him as 'not a particularly mature 13-year-old, and this was his first sexual experience'. The court heard that the boy's father and his family do not accept the verdict. McGreal said his client wants to pursue his Junior Certificate and is interested in becoming a mechanic or a builder. He is against drugs and alcohol and wants to marry his girlfriend. Vincent Heneghan SC, defending the then-15-year-old boy, said his client comes from a 'good supportive family' and they are concerned for him. He stated that his client does not accept the jury's verdict and that this will limit any potential mitigation. Counsel said his client presents as intermittently distressed since going into custody and is not sleeping well. He said he is engaging in education and sport while in Oberstown. Henaghan said the defendant has no issues with drugs or alcohol and outlined that there was no pre-planning to this offending. He asked the court to consider the reports that were before the court on behalf of his client and requested that the court be as lenient as possible. Donal Cronin BL, defending the third boy, said his sexual knowledge at the time was limited. He outlined that his client has no issues with drink or drugs and that sport has formed a major part of his life. Cronin asked the court to fashion a sentence that would mark the wrongdoing but also include rehabilitation. He asked the court to consider the mitigating factors, including his client's culpability, his involvement and the fact he was a child at the time.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Two teenage boys who raped girl in car at Limerick Races detained for six years
'gruesome' | 'This was a 16-year-old intoxicated girl in a vulnerable situation subjected to rape and sexual assault.' A third defendant (now 18) who was found guilty of aiding and abetting the rapes by moving the car in which it occurred was jailed for three and a half years. The daytime attack against the girl involved humiliation and degradation and was committed by offenders of a very young age, the Central Criminal Court heard. The teenage rapists and their families do not accept the verdicts of the jury and there was a heavy garda presence in court for sentencing today. Mr Justice Paul McDermott said that had the boys – who are all cousins - been adults at the time of the offending, the headline sentence for the rape offences would have been in the range of 15 years to life imprisonment. 'This was a 16-year-old intoxicated girl in a vulnerable situation subjected to rape and sexual assault,' he said. 'She was raped one after the other by (the two boys) and in the course of these rapes, she was sexually assaulted.' The girl was repeatedly saying no during the assaults. Further indignity and humiliation was heaped upon her by video footage being taken of the incident, the judge said. Stock image. Phot: Matt Browne/Sportsfile via Getty Images News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 Handing down sentence, Mr Justice McDermott noted there was very little to be said in mitigation for the boys, as they have not expressed remorse or any understanding of the harm caused to the complainant. They must be sentenced as juveniles under the Children Act, in which detention is a last resort, the court heard. The judge accepted the third defendant, who aided and abetted the rapes, has taken some responsibility for his involvement but struggles to understand it. He noted they have no previous convictions and have been subject to some childhood trauma, with mental health difficulties in their families. They had a lack of understanding in the areas of sexual relations and consent, the court heard. Mr Justice McDermott sentenced the two rapists to a sentence of seven and a half years of detention, with the final 18 months suspended on a number of conditions, including that they engage in sexual offending programmes and have no contact whatsoever with the complainant. The judge noted this means that part of their sentence will be served in prison. He sentenced the third defendant to five years in jail as he is now over the age of 18 years. He suspended the final 18 months of this sentence on the same conditions. The three boys stood trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork earlier this year, with two of the boys (now aged 16 and 17) found guilty of sexually assaulting and raping the then 16-year-old girl in a car at the racecourse on December 26, 2022. They were 13 and 15 years old at the time. The third boy (now 18) was found guilty by the jury of four counts of aiding and abetting the rapes and sexual assaults following the six-week trial. The court heard he moved the car during the course of the attack. He was aged 15 at the time. He was acquitted of one count of false imprisonment. Video clips were taken of the incident by one of the boys, including one clip of the girl walking away from the car after she had been raped. When she found her friends, she was extremely upset and immediately told them what had happened to her, the court heard. The boys denied raping the girl, telling gardaí differing versions of events including one who said he was in Dublin on the day in question. They all eventually claimed it was a consensual encounter. Read more Detective Garda Lisa O'Regan told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, that the girl was socialising with her friends at the racecourse on the day in question. She was, in her own words, 'really drunk' when she got chatting to the three boys, Mr Kelly said. The court heard she agreed to go for a walk with one of the boys because she wanted to kiss him. Instead, she found herself in a car belonging to one of the boy's fathers where she was sexually assaulted and raped by two of them. The third boy moved the car at one point during the attack. The girl said she told the boys 'No' repeatedly and that she was on her period and had a tampon in. She said she told them she needed to go back to her friends, but they repeatedly said no and that she was 'fine'. When medically examined later that evening, she was found to have extensive bleeding and bruising. She was a virgin prior to the attack. The complainant (now aged 18) was not in court for the sentence hearing in Dublin. In a victim statement read out on her behalf by counsel, she described her fear and anxiety in the aftermath of the attack, during which she was 'begging them to get off me'. 'At the age of 16, I had my innocence stripped away from me,' she said. 'These two (boys) took what they wanted with no regrets.' She said her parents had to hear every 'vulgar' and 'gruesome' detail of what happened to her and that she will 'forever have guilt on my shoulders - not just for how it affected me, but everyone around me'. 'They not only took away the rest of my childhood, they took away the rest of my life,' she said. 'At the age of 16, I was raped. This is always something I will have to carry around. 'But what I can do is live with the fact that I told the truth.' The court heard the boys, who are all cousins, have no previous convictions. They are all in detention or custody since the guilty verdicts were handed down last April. The case was previously adjourned for a number of weeks for preparation of probation reports. Cathal McGreal, BL, defending the youngest of the three boys, said his client was then aged 13 and had no previous convictions. He said that a report before the court described him as mild-mannered, introverted and vulnerable from a mental health point of view. Counsel said his client made admissions and described him as 'not a particularly mature 13-year-old, and this was his first sexual experience'. The court heard that the boy's father and his family do not accept the verdict. Mr McGreal said his client wants to pursue his Junior Certificate and is interested in becoming a mechanic or a builder. He is against drugs and alcohol and wants to marry his girlfriend. Vincent Heneghan SC, defending the then 15-year-old boy, said his client comes from a 'good supportive family' and they are concerned for him. He stated that his client does not accept the jury's verdict and that this will limit any potential mitigation. Counsel said his client presents as intermittently distressed since going into custody and is not sleeping well. He said he is engaging in education and sport while in Oberstown. Mr Henaghan said the defendant has no issues with drugs or alcohol and outlined that there was no pre-planning to this offending. He asked the court to consider the reports that were before the court on behalf of his client and requested that the court be as lenient as possible. Donal Cronin BL, defending the third boy, said his sexual knowledge at the time was limited. He outlined that his client has no issues with drink or drugs and that sport has formed a major part of his life. Mr Cronin asked the court to fashion a sentence that would mark the wrongdoing but also include rehabilitation. He asked the court to consider the mitigating factors, including his client's culpability, his involvement and the fact he was a child at the time.
