Satchwell murder trial hears evidence of HSE medical cards for Tina and husband Richard
The Central Criminal Court murder trial - which is now in its fourth week - also heard that his wife, Tina Satchwell (45), had held a medical card since 2002.
Her partially skeletonised body was discovered following an invasive four-day Garda search of the Youghal home from October 10-12, 2023.
The 58-year-old Leicester native claimed his wife died as he was defending himself from her after she attacked him with a wood chisel on March 20, 2017.
Mr Satchwell's Central Criminal Court murder trial was told he stored her body in a chest freezer for a period before burying her in a 'clandestine' grave under the stairwell of their Cork home.
The trial, before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men, is expected to run until June 5 or 6.
In evidence today, HSE data director Rosalee Smith-Lynch confirmed she was asked by gardaí about medical card records for both Mr Satchwell and his wife.
She confirmed Tina Satchwell had held a medical card since July 2, 2002, while Richard Satchwell had held one since August 28, 2003.
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC queried why there were no references to the Satchwells having medical cards since 1993.
Mr Grehan said his client had attended GPs under such auspices since 1993.
The data in court was obtained from the National Scheme Viewer (NSV) of the HSE, an IT system that allows for recording all interactions between medical card holders and GPs.
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The court heard the system was centralised in 2011 - and it was possible that some records were not transferred for NSV storage.
"I would have to check… I cannot comment," Ms Smith-Lynch said.
Mr Satchwell has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Tina 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.
Mr Satchwell has claimed his wife attacked him with a wood and, after falling to the ground, he defended himself by holding her away from him by the rope belt of her dressing gown.
This somehow came up around her neck and she went limp.
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