
Satchwell's 'farcical' narrative of wife's death has more holes than 'Swiss cheese', jury told
Richard Satchwell's narrative of how his wife died after he held her off by the belt of her bathrobe is "absolutely farcical" and has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese, a prosecution barrister has told a Central Criminal Court jury.
Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, on Friday gave her closing speech in the trial of Mr Satchwell, submitting that the the British truck driver had woven "a web of deceit" and continued his "fabricated narrative" over the years when he engaged with the media and "anyone who would indulge him".
Advertisement
The Leicester man, Ms Small said, was "shamelessly brazen right up to the very end" until his wife's remains were discovered at the couple's home in Youghal, over six years after Tina Satchwell was reported missing.
The trial has heard that on March 24th, 2017, Mr Satchwell told gardaí that his wife Tina 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.
The accused formally reported Ms Satchwell missing the following May but her body was not discovered for over six years, when gardaí in October 2023 conducting "an invasive search" of the Satchwell home found her decomposed remains in a grave that had been dug almost one metre deep underneath the stairs.
When re-arrested on suspicion of Tina's murder after her body was removed from their Cork home, Mr Satchwell told gardaí that his wife "flew" at him with a chisel, that he fell backwards against the floor and described her death after he said he held her off by the belt of her bathrobe at her neck.
Advertisement
The Assistant State Pathologist has told the trial that Tina's cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletal nature of her remains after they were found buried beneath her Cork home.
Prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small outside at the Central Criminal Court. Photo: Collins
Addressing the jurors in her closing speech on Friday, Ms Small said the case was "calling and screaming out" for them to apply their common sense and experience.
Ms Small said that the jurors can infer intent from "the surrounding circumstances" of Mr Satchwell's actions, reactions and omissions, as well as the lies he told, the manner in which he concealed the body, the "whole web of deceit he wove" and the fact that it was not until Tina's body was found that his narrative changed. These, she said, were all matters for the jury to examine when they were looking at the accused intent.
Counsel suggested that in the immediate aftermath of the killing, Mr Satchwell had not sought any medical help and made no calls to the emergency services. "Nothing; he doesn't contact anyone."
Advertisement
Ms Small told the jurors that the accused created a false email to an international monkey rescue association at 10.42am on March 20, 2017 "in very close proximity to the killing", where he wrote: "I have put an awful lot of work into this and my wife is going to leave me as a result."
"That is a very calculated move on Mr Satchwell's part," the prosecutor told the jury. "It's very deliberate and very reasoned and what he is doing is creating a digital footprint he can avail of later down the line....it's a safety net because further down the line, he can say she was alive at that stage."
The barrister said another text message sent by the accused to "a Mr James" in a similar manner to the email were "two very deliberate and conniving actions" on the accused's part; "full of guile".
In his first contact with gardaí on March 24 2017, Ms Small said Mr Satchwell told officers he was not really worried about Tina because of the deterioration in their relationship; "again the deceit has been woven again".
Advertisement
She said Mr Satchell had continued this "fabricated narrative and deceit" over the years when he engaged with the media and "anyone who would indulge him".
Ms Small said during the accused's "enhanced cognitive interview" with gardaí in June 2021, he still maintained the same narrative of how Tina had left him. She said when the accused told gardaí he thought Tina may come knocking on his door, he did this "knowing full well she was buried under the concrete; it's absolutely callous".
The lawyer outlined that when Mr Satchwell was first arrested for his wife's murder on October 10th, 2023, gardaí had told him there was going to be an invasive search and that they "were going into the walls" of his home and digging up every inch of the house.
Ms Small said at this stage, Tina's body hadn't been found, but officers asked the accused what he kept under the stairs. She said Mr Satchwell had told them "bits and pieces".
Advertisement
"That illustrates how shamelessly brazen he is, right up to the very end, absolutely brazen and he maintains that position right to the bitter end until he is released from detention," said counsel.
Counsel told the jurors that ultimately, Tina's decomposed body and skeletal remains were recovered when the cement under the stairs was broken. She said gardaí then re-arrested the accused on October 12th.
"He knows the body has been found, you would expect this is a road to Damascus moment, you would be forgiven for thinking that, but no. Richard Satchwell now embarks upon another narrative and another web of deceit; this narrative has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese, it is laden with discrepancies," she continued.
Ms Small commented that Mr Satchwell's account of how his wife died was "totally implausible and self-serving". She went through his account on how Tina "flew" at him with a chisel and was on top of him trying to stab him.
"Curiously this eight stone lady versus a six foot two man never manages and doesn't get a mark on him but nonetheless she is still stabbing at him," she commented.
"For some reason he said he grabs her clothes but doesn't know it's a belt at the time, only after the deed he realises it's a belt, he said he is holding her off because he is terrified".
Ms Small submitted that Mr Satchwell gave no detail of the struggle because he could not be then probed by gardaí and "found out".
She continued: "Tina is well capable of getting up, she has her left hand free and can stop her own death, it's absolutely farcical but that is what he is telling gardaí."
Ireland
Richard Satchwell was 'obsessed' with and 'possess...
Read More
Ms Small noted that when the accused was asked by gardaí to demonstrate what happened to his wife, he said he couldn't. She also said that when Mr Satchwell was asked how he held the belt around her throat, he said he didn't know.
Counsel also submitted that when the accused was asked what had caused Tina to die, he could not say but went on in his interview "to set up" the defence of self-defence for himself.
The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women, when Ms Small will continue her closing speech.
Mr Satchwell (58), with an address at Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork has pleaded not guilty to murdering his 45-year-old wife Tina Satchwell – nee Dingivan – at that address between March 19th and March 20th, 2017, both dates inclusive.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Urgent hunt for missing schoolgirl, 13, last seen in pyjamas as cops ‘growing concerned for welfare'
Breaking FRANTIC SEARCH She was last seen yesterday evening Published : 9:14, 10 Jun 2025 Updated : 9:20, 10 Jun 2025 AN URGENT manhunt is underway to find a missing schoolgirl. Nereah, 13, was last seen at 7pm last night in Gloucestershire, wearing grey pyjamas. She reportedly left a property on Legion Way in Brockworth, near Gloucester, on the evening of June 9. She has not been spotted since. Police officers in the area are "growing concerned for her welfare." Nereah is described as being black and 5ft 6in in height. She has also been described as being of medium build, and with shoulder-length braided hair. Nereah is reported to have been wearing a black coat over grey pyjamas, along with white trainers and a black handbag. In a statement of appeal, Gloucestershire Constabulary said: "Police are appealing for help in locating a teenage girl who has gone missing from Brockworth. "Officers are growing concerned for her welfare and are asking the public for any information on her whereabouts. "Anyone with information on Nereah's location is asked to contact 101, quoting incident 540 of 9 June. If you can see Nereah at the time of calling, please ring 999.


The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Erin Patterson denies lying about making herself vomit after fatal mushroom lunch
Erin Patterson says she is 'puzzled' that a clinic in which she said she had an appointment for a gastric bypass offers no such surgery, and denies lying about making herself vomit in the hours immediately after the beef wellington lunch, a court has heard. In her sixth day in the witness box, Patterson was repeatedly asked under cross-examination by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC whether she was lying about the deadly lunch and other parts of her evidence before her triple-murder trial. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to poisoning four in-laws with beef wellington served for lunch at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Lawyers for Patterson say the death cap mushroom poisoning was a tragic and terrible accident. Patterson told the court last week that she had a pre-assessment booking for gastric bypass surgery scheduled at Enrich Clinic in September 2023. But Rogers said to Patterson on Tuesday that Enrich was a cosmetic dermatology clinic, and did not offer gastric bypass surgery. Patterson said she was 'puzzled' that was the case. 'In what way?' Rogers asked. 'Well I had an appointment with them, and that's my memory of what the appointment was for, so that's why I'm puzzled.' Rogers confirmed the appointment was made, and had been cancelled by Patterson two days before it was scheduled. Patterson believed the appointment related to weight loss surgery, but said it may have been a different procedure. 'It wasn't a lie, that's what my memory was,' Patterson said. Rogers also asked Patterson about her evidence last week that she made herself vomit in the hours after the lunch, after she felt overfull from eating the beef wellington and a large portion of orange cake. Patterson said she had a history of binge eating and purging dating back to her 20s. Rogers accused Patterson of lying about vomiting on the afternoon of the lunch after her guests left. 'You did not tell a single medical person that you had vomited up after the lunch on the 29th of July?' Rogers asked. 'That is true, I didn't do that,' Patterson said. Rogers suggested to Patterson that she lied about vomiting after the lunch, and about how much she ate at lunch, 'because you're trying to account for why the others were seriously ill and you were not'. 'I wish that was true, but it's not,' Patterson responded. Patterson also denied suggestions from Rogers regarding the plating at the lunch. Patterson said evidence Ian gave about the guests being served on matching large grey plates, and Patterson serving herself on a smaller lighter coloured plate, was incorrect. She said she did not know whether evidence Simon gave about Heather making two comments to him about mismatched plates was also wrong. Rogers suggested to Patterson she used different plates as she made poisoned beef wellingtons for her guests, but that hers did not contain death cap mushrooms. 'To avoid any error, you took the extra precaution of using a different and smaller plate, to plate your non-poisoned serve, correct or incorrect,' Rogers asked. 'Incorrect,' Patterson responded. Patterson said she did not one a set of four matching plates. 'I suggest your whole story is untrue that you plated the food without discrimination,' Rogers asked her. 'You're wrong,' Patterson replied. Earlier on Tuesday morning, after answering a question from Rogers regarding the internet search history of devices seized from her home, Patterson attempted to further clarify the evidence before Rogers asked another question. 'Ms Patterson, I am the person who asks the questions,' Rogers said. 'If there something that needs to be clarified in re-examination, your barrister will do so.' 'No problem,' Patterson replied. The trial continues. In Australia, the Butterfly Foundation is at 1800 33 4673. In the UK, Beat can be contacted on 0808-801-0677. In the US, help is available at or by calling ANAD's eating disorders hotline at 800-375-7767. Other international helplines can be found at Eating Disorder Hope


Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Riots break out in Northern Ireland after two 14-year-olds who appeared in court over an attempted rape needed a Romanian interpreter
Riots broke out in Northern Ireland last night following the arrests of two teenage boys who appeared in court for attempted rape. Around 2,500 people gathered in the Harryville area of Ballymena, Co Antrim, yesterday after the alleged incident, which is said to have taken place in the town on Saturday evening. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court after the serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Clonavon Terrace. They confirmed their names and ages through a Romanian interpreter at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday morning, the BBC first reported. Hours later, videos on social media showed a huge crowd gathered in a local park before moving towards the Clonavon Terrace area. Barricades were then erected and blazing fires lit, with a large police presence at the scene as well as other emergency services. Missiles, petrol bombs and paint were lobbed at police lines, according to local reports, while nearby properties were also vandalised by masked youths. The two 14-year-old boys are charged with attempted oral rape and both deny the charges. The PSNI said in a statement last night: 'Police are dealing with public disorder in Ballymena town centre this evening. 'A number of missiles have been thrown towards police with damage reported to a number of properties. Officers are advising motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice. 'It follows a protest in the area earlier this evening. Officers are in attendance to ensure the safety of everyone involved. They will remain in the area tonight to continue to monitor the situation.' Chief Superintendent Sue Steen said: 'We are urging everyone to remain calm and to act responsibly. Violence and disorder will only place people at greater risk. 'Our priority is to keep the community safe, and I would appeal to everyone to work with us to bring calm to the area as quickly as possible.' Officers are advising motorists and pedestrians to avoid the Clonavon Road area until further notice. They will remain in the area overnight to continue to monitor the situation, it is understood.