Gardaí found Tina Satchwell after noticing different colour concrete under stairs

Sunday World

12-05-2025

Gardaí found a human hand at 8.35pm on October 11 when forensic experts examined the black plastic which had been buried in the deep, clandestine grave
The murder trial of Richard Satchwell (58) has heard Gardaí found the body of an adult female wrapped in black plastic and buried in a deep clandestine grave after focussing on the stairwell of a Cork property because a forensic officer noticed that poured concrete was different to the cement alongside it.
Retired Garda Technical Bureau officer, Det Garda Shane Curran - who was the crime scene manager as Gardaí excavated Mr Satchwell's Youghal home in October 2023 - said that human remains were found during a detailed excavation on October 11.
Gardaí found a human hand at 8.35pm on October 11 when forensic experts examined the black plastic which had been buried in the deep, clandestine grave.
"The remains were wrapped in black plastic – and were transferred to Cork University Hospital (at 2pm on October 12) after they were found.'
Richard Satchwell
"The body was found in black plastic and was left in the black plastic as it was placed in a body bag for transfer to the mortuary.'
The English truck driver appeared for the ninth day of his murder trial before the Central Criminal Court in Dublin wearing navy slacks and an open neck blue shirt.
The trial - before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men - is expected to run for six weeks.
Mr Satchwell has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Tina (45) at a time unknown on March 19-20, 2017, at his home at No 3 Grattan Street in Youghal, Co Cork, contrary to Common Law.
Richard Satchwell pictured holding a photo of his wife Tina. Photo: Kyran O'Brien
News in 90 seconds - 12th May 2025
Her partially skeletonised body was discovered following an invasive Garda search of the Satchwell family home from October 10-12, 2023.
The State said her body was temporarily stored in a chest freezer before being buried in a shallow grave underneath the stairs and topped with a concrete slab.
Mr Satchwell had notified officers at Fermoy Garda Station on March 24, 2017, that his Fermoy-born wife was missing from their Youghal home when he returned from an errand in Waterford four days earlier.
The Leicester native claimed his wife had left her beloved dogs, Heidi and Ruby, behind but had taken two suitcases and €26,000 in their life savings, which had been stored in a tin in the attic.
At the urging of Gardaí, he made a formal missing person statement on May 11, 2017.
Mr Satchwell's home was subjected to a 12-hour search by a team of 10 Gardaí on June 7, 2017, but nothing was found.
Tina Satchwell
That search included conducting a 'Blue Star' test for traces of blood but none were detected.
However, a new brick wall underneath the house stairwell was noted and photographed.
Ms Satchwell's body was found buried underneath the stairwell during a second more invasive Garda search of the Grattan Street property from October 10, 2023.
Her body was found by a cadaver dog called 'Fern', which is used by the UK Home Office, and was deployed at the request of the Gardaí with Northern Ireland-based dog handler, Alan Ward.
The home in Youghal where Tina Satchwell and her husband Richard Satchwell lived
Det Garda Curran was the crime scene manager at No 3 Grattan Street from October 10, 2023, when the invasive search began. He was with Det Garda Brian Barry, Det Garda Karen Carthy and Det Garda Mairead Crowley. Also assisting Gardaí were two forensic archaeologists, Dr Niamh McCullough and Dr Aidan Harte.
Forensic anthropologist Dr Laureen Buckley was also on standby to assist Gardaí.
On October 11, the second day of the search, Det Garda Curran said a matter was brought to his attention.
Det Garda Brian Barry noticed an area by the stairwell where recently poured concrete was different to the original concrete.
"The concrete was a different colour and that is what piqued Det Garda Barry's interest."
The area was partially excavated with the assistance of contract builders.
"He told me he found some black plastic some 64cm deep under the slab. He thought this was very, very important."
Dr McCullough and Dr Harte assisted with the exposure and excavation of the area containing the black plastic.
"The red brick partition was removed to allow better access for the forensic archaeologists to continue their excavation (under the stairwell)."
It was found that the black plastic contained human remains some 64cm deep.
Dr Buckley then assisted with the examination.
"The base of the grave was 84cm which is quite deep," Det Garda Curran said.
Det Garda Curran said the cadaver dog had shown interest in the area by the stairwell.
"It (the dog) had shown significant interest in the area."
"But it was only when Det Garda Barry started to explore the area and exposed the black plastic that the human remains were found - I asked for the dog to be brought back and that was when the dog indicated the presence of human remains."
Cadaver dog, Fern, went into 'freeze mode' which indicated it had found human remains.
"The remains were found on the evening of October 11 and were fully exposed by October 12," Det Garda Curran said.
The body, having been examined by Dr Buckley, was taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where a post-mortem examination was conducted.
"Because the burial was so deep, 64cm and 84cm....84cm is very, very deep. The reason it is so deep is that the soil under the stairs was very sandy and it was easy to dig," Det Garda Curran said.
Tina Satchwell was 45 when she disappeared (Family handout/PA)
Ground penetrating radar was used but the depth of the burial and the general environment did not result in any positive 'hit'.
The trial already heard that Mr Satchwell claimed to Gardaí in October 2023, just hours after human remains were found in his home, that his wife attacked him with a chisel on March 20, 2017, before she "went limp" after he tried to protect himself by holding her away from him with a belt, with her weight on the belt by her neck.
He placed her body in a chest freezer and then buried it in a one metre grave he excavated under the stairwell of their Cork home.
Mr Satchwell, having placed his wife's body in black sheeting and then into the shallow grave, covered it over with cement before notifying Gardaí four days later she was missing.
Her remains were only found six and a half years later.
The prosecution is led by Gerardine Small SC with Imelda Kelly BL.
Mr Satchwell's defence team is led by Brendan Grehan SC with Paula McCarthy BL, instructed by Cork solicitor Eddie Burke.