‘Tina, come home' – husband's appeal to wife who was buried in their house
Tears fill the eyes of Richard Satchwell as he appeals to his wife of 27 years to contact him, three months after she had allegedly disappeared from their home in Youghal, Co Cork.
In the Crimecall appeal, the 58-year-old looks directly into the camera and pleads: 'I just can't go on not knowing. Even if you just ring the guards, let people know that you are all right.'
The programme, which aired in June 2017, was one of more than a dozen media appearances in which Satchwell spoke extensively about the morning he claimed Tina left the house and never returned.
Within months of his wife going missing, Satchwell, a truck driver, had convinced her family that she had deserted him, taken 26,000 euro of their savings and had assaulted him throughout their marriage.
Her family were left angry, worried and confused as they tried to make sense of her disappearance and the person Satchwell had described as violent. It was not the Tina they knew.
Within a week of murdering his wife, Satchwell had placed her body in an unplugged chest freezer, which was kept in the shed at the back of the property in Grattan Street.
He then dug a hole, measuring almost one-metre deep, under the stairs of their three-storey home. Tina's body, still wearing her pyjamas and dressing gown, was then wrapped in a black plastic sheet and placed inside the hole with her head facing down.
On Friday, March 24 2017, a 'not overly emotional' Satchwell walked into Fermoy Garda Station to report that his wife had left him and he had not seen her in four days.
Garda Conor Casey suggested making a missing person report, but Satchwell said she was 'OK'.
It was more than seven weeks after Tina disappeared that Satchwell formally reported her missing to gardai, and her case was upgraded to a missing persons case.
Satchwell set out a story to Garda James Butler that he would stick by for almost seven years.
The claims led to a lengthy investigation, which began with a search of his home in June 2017.
The search, which lasted for around 11 hours, did not find anything of significance.
Over the 12 months following Tina's disappearance, Satchwell embarked on a media campaign in which he spoke extensively to TV and radio journalists about Tina and the day she left their home and their marriage.
According to Satchwell, it was love at first sight.
He was 21 years old when he first laid eyes on Tina, a 17-year-old from Fermoy, who had moved to Coalville, near Leicester in England.
She had moved to live with her grandmother and Satchwell's brother was a neighbour.
Satchwell said they 'clicked' and they were together ever since.
A broadcast interview played to the jury shows Satchwell taking a journalist around his home, meeting their pet parrot, Valentine. He also shows a dusty unopened bottle of Cava he bought for their anniversary.
During many of his interviews and 'exchanges of information' with gardai, Satchwell repeatedly told them he believed Tina left because of a deterioration in their relationship. But he also said he believed she would return home.
He also claimed she would have violent outbursts that she would direct at him, and spoke about his wife's 'dark side'.
He claimed he gave up a lot in his life to be with her. She did not want children but he did, he claimed.
He told gardai that he and Tina were best friends, and spent hours and hours talking each night, about nothing specific.
Images of his house after Tina disappeared revealed a home that had dog faeces on the floor, unwashed dishes lying in the kitchen sink and a birdcage that had not been cleaned for a while. There was also a cement mixer in the sitting room.
Satchwell later admitted that he slept on bed sheets that had not been washed in years.
An upstairs room was full of clothing and clothing racks, all belonging to Tina.
By June 2017, detectives suspected that Tina may have been injured or 'incapacitated by a criminal event'.
Inconsistencies also began to emerge in his story.
A forensic accountant said that the couple would not have been able to save 26,000 euro that he claimed she took the morning she left.
CCTV and phone location data also revealed that he was not in Dungarvan on the morning of March 20.
Emails on a laptop seized from his home showed that the couple had been trying to buy two marmoset monkeys from an international monkey rescue organisation.
An email had been sent on the morning of March 20 claiming to be from Satchwell himself.
It later emerged that he had offered Tina's cousin the chest freezer he had used to store her body for a number of days.
Years passed with no updates or sightings of missing Tina.
Then in August 2021, Superintendent Annmarie Twomey was appointed senior investigating officer, and along with Detective Garda David Kelleher from Cobh Garda Station, she familiarised herself with the case.
She identified new lines of inquiry and came to the conclusion that Tina had met her death by unlawful means and was not a living person.
Investigators obtained a court search warrant and on October 10 2023 gardai arrested Satchwell and began an extensive search of his home.
He repeated the same story about her disappearing from their home with 26,000 euro on March 20 2017, claiming she never returned.
He was released the following day, but just hours later the decomposed remains of his wife were found buried one metre underground, beneath the stairs.
Suddenly, his story changed.
He said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he had been up early in the morning and was working on a plumbing issue in the shed.
At around 9am, the two dogs came into the shed, which, he said, meant that Tina was up.
He went inside and found his wife in her dressing gown scraping at the plasterboard with a chisel. He asked her what she was doing and she suddenly flew at him with the chisel.
He said he lost his footing and fell backwards, and she was on top of him trying to stab him in the head with the chisel.
All he could do to protect himself, according to Satchwell, was hold the dressing gown belt to her neck.
He then held Tina's weight off him with the belt and within a matter of second, she 'falls limp and collapses into my arms'.
His denial of the charge was ultimately rejected by the jury who found him guilty of murder.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Richard Satchwell found guilty of wife's murder
The British truck driver, 58, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. He did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at around 12.23pm on Friday. The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell cried as the guilty verdict was returned, while a number of the jurors also wept in court. Satchwell, who sat with his head in his hand as the jury entered the courtroom, will be sentenced on June 4. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, and the belt of the gown was wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. During Garda interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed that she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He added that Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, she went limp and fell into his arms. He then placed her body on the couch in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. It was more than six years before gardai discovered her body. Speaking outside court, Tina's cousin Sarah Howard said the family 'finally have justice' following the conviction of Satchwell. She said: 'During this trial Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was. 'Tina was our precious sister, cousin, auntie and daughter. Her presence in our life meant so much to us all. 'We, as a family, can never put into words the impact that her loss has had on all of us. 'Tina was a kind, loving, gentle soul who loved her animals like they loved her and that is the way we want her remembered. 'Today, as a family, we finally have justice for Tina.' Tina's half-sister Lorraine Howard thanked the judge and the prosecution team. 'Your hard work, professionalism shone through like the classy ladies you were. We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are for you. We want to sincerely thank the judge, the jury for their dedication,' Ms Howard said. 'We would like to thank all the witnesses who helped us reach this verdict today. I would like to personally thank Sarah Howard, Tina's niece, who came up to give evidence and her support two weeks postpartum from her beautiful baby girl. You did yourself and Tina proud. 'Thank you to Ann Marie Twomey and Dave Kelleher for putting the pieces together and finding Tina. 'We would like to thank John O'Connell, the victim support workers, for keeping our spirits high.' The court previously heard that the couple married in the UK when Mrs Satchwell turned 20 and later moved to Ireland and bought a house in Fermoy, Co Cork. The couple lived there for some time before selling the property and buying the house in Youghal in 2016. Mrs Satchwell was described in court as a 'very glamorous' lady who had a love for fashion and clothes. The court heard that she loved her two dogs, particularly her chihuahua, Ruby, and considered them her children. She was described as a petite lady, about 5ft 4in, who weighed about eight stone (50 kilograms). The trial heard that on March 24 2017, Satchwell went to the garda station in Fermoy, four days after his wife allegedly left their family home. He told police he had no concerns for her welfare and had no concerns she would self-harm. Satchwell said he believed she had left their family home because their relationship had deteriorated. He believed she was staying at a hotel and claimed she had taken 26,000 euro in cash from their savings, which they kept in the attic. He told police that on the morning she allegedly left the home, Mrs Satchwell had asked him to go to Aldi in Dungarvan to buy a number of items, including parrot food, and that he had left the house at 10am and returned in the early afternoon. When he returned to the house, Mrs Satchwell was not there but noticed her keys on the floor and her phone sitting on the counter. He formally reported his wife as missing in May 2017, and also told investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him but he had put up with it because he loved her. During their investigation, gardai found that Satchwell's computer had searches for quicklime shortly after his wife disappeared. In August 2021, Superintendent Ann marie Twomey was appointed senior investigating officer, and along with Detective Garda David Kelleher from Cobh Garda Station, she familiarised herself with the case. She identified new lines of inquiry and came to the conclusion that Tina has met her death by unlawful means and was not a living person. Investigators obtained a court search warrant and in October 2023, gardai arrested Satchwell for murder following the discovery of his wife's remains. During the trial, the jury heard that Sarah Howard, Tina's cousin, had been offered a chest freezer and free concert tickets. She said she thought the offer was 'very unusual' and refused both. Tina's half sister, Lorraine Howard described their marriage as odd, and said that Satchwell was possessive of Tina, and referred to her as his 'trophy wife'. She said that Satchwell portrayed his wife as being violent after she disappeared, and said he would show her every cut and scar on his body and blame Tina for it. In her closing speech, prosecution barrister Geradine Small said that Satchwell was 'shamelessly brazen' and the narrative he gave about how his wife died was implausible and had 'more holes than than a block of Swiss cheese'. She said that he displayed 'conniving actions, full of guile', and embarked on a 'web of deceit' after he buried his wife. The prosecution described Satchwell's narrative as implausible and self-serving, highlighting his failure to seek help after Tina's death.
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Tina Satchwell remembered by family as ‘kind, loving and gentle soul'
Tina's cousin, Sarah Howard, said the family 'finally have justice' following the conviction of Richard Satchwell. Satchwell, a British truck driver, was found unanimously guilty of the murder of his wife at their home in Co Cork. The 58-year-old had denied the murder of Mrs Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. The jury in the trial returned the verdict on Friday afternoon at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell wept as the guilty verdict was returned. Ms Howard, who gave evidence for the prosecution in the trial, said: 'During this trial Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was. 'Tina was our precious sister, cousin, auntie and daughter. Her presence in our life meant so much to us all. 'We, as a family, can never put into words the impact that her loss has had on all of us. 'Tina was a kind, loving, gentle soul who loved her animals like they loved her and that is the way we want her remembered. 'Today, as a family, we finally have justice for Tina.' Tina's half-sister, Lorraine Howard, thanked the judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, and the prosecution team, including senior barrister Gerardine Small. 'Your hard work and professionalism shone through like the classy ladies you were. We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are for you. We want to sincerely thank the judge, the jury, for their dedication,' she said. 'We would like to thank all the witnesses who helped us reach this verdict today. I would like to personally thank Sarah Howard, who came up to give evidence and her support two weeks postpartum from her beautiful baby girl. You did yourself and Tina proud. 'Thank you to (Superintendent) Ann Marie Twomey and (Detective Garda) Dave Kelleher for putting the pieces together and finding Tina. 'We would like to thank John O'Connell, the victim support workers, for keeping our spirits high.'
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Leader Live
Richard Satchwell found guilty of wife's murder
The British truck driver, 58, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. He did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at around 12.23pm on Friday. The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell cried as the guilty verdict was returned, while a number of the jurors also wept in court. Satchwell, who sat with his head in his hand as the jury entered the courtroom, will be sentenced on June 4. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, and the belt of the gown was wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. During Garda interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed that she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He added that Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, she went limp and fell into his arms. He then placed her body on the couch in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. It was more than six years before gardai discovered her body. Speaking outside court, Tina's cousin Sarah Howard said the family 'finally have justice' following the conviction of Satchwell. She said: 'During this trial Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was. 'Tina was our precious sister, cousin, auntie and daughter. Her presence in our life meant so much to us all. 'We, as a family, can never put into words the impact that her loss has had on all of us. 'Tina was a kind, loving, gentle soul who loved her animals like they loved her and that is the way we want her remembered. 'Today, as a family, we finally have justice for Tina.' Tina's half-sister Lorraine Howard thanked the judge and the prosecution team. 'Your hard work, professionalism shone through like the classy ladies you were. We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are for you. We want to sincerely thank the judge, the jury for their dedication,' Ms Howard said. 'We would like to thank all the witnesses who helped us reach this verdict today. I would like to personally thank Sarah Howard, Tina's niece, who came up to give evidence and her support two weeks postpartum from her beautiful baby girl. You did yourself and Tina proud. 'Thank you to Ann Marie Twomey and Dave Kelleher for putting the pieces together and finding Tina. 'We would like to thank John O'Connell, the victim support workers, for keeping our spirits high.' The court previously heard that the couple married in the UK when Mrs Satchwell turned 20 and later moved to Ireland and bought a house in Fermoy, Co Cork. The couple lived there for some time before selling the property and buying the house in Youghal in 2016. Mrs Satchwell was described in court as a 'very glamorous' lady who had a love for fashion and clothes. The court heard that she loved her two dogs, particularly her chihuahua, Ruby, and considered them her children. She was described as a petite lady, about 5ft 4in, who weighed about eight stone (50 kilograms). The trial heard that on March 24 2017, Satchwell went to the garda station in Fermoy, four days after his wife allegedly left their family home. He told police he had no concerns for her welfare and had no concerns she would self-harm. Satchwell said he believed she had left their family home because their relationship had deteriorated. He believed she was staying at a hotel and claimed she had taken 26,000 euro in cash from their savings, which they kept in the attic. He told police that on the morning she allegedly left the home, Mrs Satchwell had asked him to go to Aldi in Dungarvan to buy a number of items, including parrot food, and that he had left the house at 10am and returned in the early afternoon. When he returned to the house, Mrs Satchwell was not there but noticed her keys on the floor and her phone sitting on the counter. He formally reported his wife as missing in May 2017, and also told investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him but he had put up with it because he loved her. During their investigation, gardai found that Satchwell's computer had searches for quicklime shortly after his wife disappeared. In August 2021, Superintendent Ann marie Twomey was appointed senior investigating officer, and along with Detective Garda David Kelleher from Cobh Garda Station, she familiarised herself with the case. She identified new lines of inquiry and came to the conclusion that Tina has met her death by unlawful means and was not a living person. Investigators obtained a court search warrant and in October 2023, gardai arrested Satchwell for murder following the discovery of his wife's remains. During the trial, the jury heard that Sarah Howard, Tina's cousin, had been offered a chest freezer and free concert tickets. She said she thought the offer was 'very unusual' and refused both. Tina's half sister, Lorraine Howard described their marriage as odd, and said that Satchwell was possessive of Tina, and referred to her as his 'trophy wife'. She said that Satchwell portrayed his wife as being violent after she disappeared, and said he would show her every cut and scar on his body and blame Tina for it. In her closing speech, prosecution barrister Geradine Small said that Satchwell was 'shamelessly brazen' and the narrative he gave about how his wife died was implausible and had 'more holes than than a block of Swiss cheese'. She said that he displayed 'conniving actions, full of guile', and embarked on a 'web of deceit' after he buried his wife. The prosecution described Satchwell's narrative as implausible and self-serving, highlighting his failure to seek help after Tina's death.
