Richard Satchwell murder trial hears harrowing evidence about condition of his wife's decomposed body

Irish Examiner

20-05-2025

WARNING: The following article contains details some readers may find upsetting
Red finger nails, a skull decapitated due to decomposition but with hair still attached, and bones protruding through clothing were found at the autopsy of missing Cork woman Tina Satchwell.
Mrs Satchwell was 45 when she went missing from her home on 3 Grattan Street, Youghal on March 20, 2017, the Central Criminal Court heard.
Her skeletal remains were found six and a half years later, buried beneath the sitting room floor of that Cork home.
Her husband, Richard Satchwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife, Tina Satchwell, nee Dingivan, at their home on 3 Grattan St, Youghal, between March 19 and March 20, both dates inclusive.
Mrs Satchwell's bones were protruding from her dressing gown but some soft tissue remained, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the Central Criminal Court after she conducted an autopsy on Mrs Satchwell's remains.
Her Tweedie Pie tattoo was still visible on her chest and a bar piercing was found on her bellybutton 'Some bunny loves me' was written on some of her clothing.
Tina Satchwell's cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletal nature of her remains, the court heard.
Fingers flexed, some of her nails had fallen off during excavation.
But a false pink nail remained on the ring finger of her left hand, Dr Bolster said.
Hair found on Mrs Satchwell's remains was a brassy brown colour.
Dr Bolster, who has carried out more than 33,000 autopsies, explained the colour of hair changes after death.
No prescribed drugs or drugs of abuse were found when samples of her hair were sent for toxicology analysis, meaning she had not consumed any drugs or medication in the 90 days before her death.
She was found in a shallow grave in her home covered in a plastic sheet, with her body wrapped in a fabric sheet, which was soiled.
Some of Mrs Satchwell's bones were protruding through it and soil and debris was found on top of it.
Under that sheet, Mrs Satchwell's body was wearing a dressing gown.
A gold Playboy purse was found in the left pocket, containing her public service card, a Rathcormac car boot sale card, an Xtravision membership card, a Tesco club card, a Boots advantage card and a Holland & Barrett card.
Shards of glass were found on her scalp and body.
Dr Bolster and bone expert Laureen Buckley were brought to 3 Grattan St, Youghal, by gardaí on October 12, 2023.
They helped with the dig of the clandestine grave where Mrs Satchwell's remains were found.
Mrs Satchwell's body was removed from the shallow grave and was taken to the mortuary in Cork University Hospital, where Dr Bolster conducted the autopsy on October 12 and into the morning of October 13, 2023.
Mrs Satchwell's cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletal nature of her remains, the court heard.
There was no evidence of any bone fractures, including to the hyoid bone which fractures in some 70% of manual strangulations, Dr Bolster said.
No damage to Mrs Satchwell's nails was identified.
No evidence of trauma was found on the body.
No bruising was found in what small amount of muscle tissue was left.
An X-ray of the hands showed no evidence of fractures.
A dressing gown belt was knotted in an unusual way around the body, looping around both the chest and stomach.
It may have been tied in this way to make the body more easy to move, Dr Bolster said.
A deceased body is difficult to move and very often a ligature is used to assist with moving the body, she said.
Mrs Satchwell was first reported missing by her husband on March 24, 2017.
Her remains were found wrapped in plastic and buried beneath a concrete floor under the stairwell in their terraced home in Youghal in October, 2023.
Her husband has been charged with her murder.
The trial continues.