Latest news with #Bolster
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Tina Satchwell's cause of death couldn't be determined due to skeletal nature of remains, husband's murder trial hears
TINA Satchwell's body was found wrapped in a soiled sheet and black plastic, her husband's murder trial heard today. And her cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletal nature of her remains after they were found buried at her 2 Tina's remains were discovered under the living room stairs in 2023 Credit: Collect She also revealed a dressing gown belt had been knotted to the front of the 45-year-old's chest in a 'very unusual position', which the expert witness said is very often used for carrying a body. Her husband, Richard The Central Criminal Dr Bolster said she went to the home on October 12, 2023, where the deceased's skeletal remains were uncovered from a hole with a depth of approximately 62cm. Read more in Irish news She told prosecutor Gerardine Small SC her remains, which looked to be in a considerable state of 'longstanding disarray', were discovered lying face down in what was effectively a grave. Dr Bolster conducted an autopsy on the night of October 12, which continued into the morning of October 13, at Cork city mortuary. She said Tina had been wearing pyjamas, which were covered by a dressing gown from It it had been wrapped in a soiled sheet, which appeared to be a bed sheet. On top of that, it was covered in a layer of black plastic. Most read in Irish News DRESSING GOWN BELT A gold-coloured Playboy-branded purse had been removed from the left pocket of the dressing gown. Cards in Tina's name were inside. Dr Bolster said she cut the belt of the dressing gown to remove it and it hadn't been previously cut. It wasn't threaded through the garment's loops and was instead extended over the left side of the neck, under the right shoulder and arm, under the body and then knotted on the front of the chest. The witness said the dressing gown top had disintegrated and multiple ribs and vertebrae had come apart through decomposition. She told the jury the skull had separated from the rest of the body as a result of the natural process of decomposition. One of the arms and femurs had also been disarticulated. And Dr Bolster explained there was formation of 'adipocere' on parts of the remains, which forms in decomposing tissue in warm and moist environments. GLASS SHARDS The expert witness testified that four pieces of glass were taken from Tina's scalp and five from the rest of the body. But asked if it was possible the glass came from the sheet, she said she could not say. The witness said part of the body had been skeletonised and she could not identify external marks and injuries due to this. And Dr Bolster said an internal examination was not applicable as there were no remaining organs. CAUSE OF DEATH She said there was no evidence of any fractures of the bones, including the hyoid bone in the neck. An X-ray of the hands was carried out and it showed no evidence of fractures. Due to the very long autopsy interval, Tina's cause of death could not be declared. She added: 'It could not be determined due to the skeletal nature of the remains.' Returning to the dressing gown belt, Dr Bolster said the significance of it over the front of Tina's neck was unclear. She added: 'It was in a very unusual position as there had been significant moving and wrapping of the body after death.' 'VERY DIFFICULT' A reconstruction video was shown to the jury as to how she recalled the belt being wrapped around the remains. Asked by Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Satchwell, whether the belt appeared to be like 'something used to carry the body', Dr Bolster replied: 'That's exactly my thoughts.' She added: 'It's very difficult to move a deceased's body around and very often I find ligatures are used to move a body from an area.' The trial previously heard that Mr Satchwell initially told But he informed officers that he had no concerns over her welfare, feeling she had left due to a deterioration in their relationship. The accused formally reported Tina missing that May but her body was not discovered until October 2023, when gardai carried out 'an invasive search' of the Satchwell home. NO RING RECOVERY When re-arrested on suspicion of Tina's murder, Mr Satchwell told The Meanwhile, Det Gda David Kelleher told how Tina's dressing gown had been photographed and searched for her wedding ring in February of this year. He told Mr Grehan this was done as Mr Satchwell had said he placed the ring in a pocket of the gown. However, the ring has not been recovered. TRIAL CONTINUES The jury previously heard from a forensic scientist who said the gown and cord were not suitable for examination as they were too damp, mouldy and brittle. Mr Grehan asked Det Gda Kelleher if it was possible the ring fell out of the gown, which had partially disintegrated. The officer said he could not be sure. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women. 2 Richard Satchwell's court case continues Credit: John Delea - The Sun Dublin
Irish Examiner
20-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Richard Satchwell murder trial hears harrowing evidence about condition of his wife's decomposed body
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.
Mint
03-05-2025
- Mint
Travel: Celebrating an evil giant's failed love story in Cornwall
Tucked away on the craggy north coast along the Atlantic Ocean is Cornwall's best kept secret: St Agnes. Situated along the protected St Agnes Heritage Coast, the village is the veritable essence of rural Cornwall, a ceremonial county on England's rugged southwestern tip that encompasses wild moorland and hundreds of gorgeous beaches. Cornwall is known for its many picture-perfect fishing villages, and St Agnes is as charming as they come. Rolling hills laden with gorse and heather lead to a scattering of stone cottages, their slate roofs weathered by salt and wind. Narrow lanes wind through the heart of the village, past stone cottages, cosy cafés, art galleries, and indie shops. I stop at St Agnes Bakery, hunkering down with a buttered slice of Cornish Hevva Cake (heavy cake that's light as a feather!) and a cup of coffee to learn more about the history of the village. 'Evidence of human settlement near St Agnes dates back 7,000 years. The region has a rich mining heritage, focused on tin, copper, and arsenic. It also grew on the back of fishing and seafaring trade," says Sarah Hudson, proprietor of the bakery. The village was originally called Bryanick, a Cornish word that translates to 'pointed hill", presumably a reference to St Agnes Beacon, the hill that looms high over the village and the coast. Hudson says the present name comes from an interesting local legend. 'A mighty giant named Bolster was known for his reign of terror in the region; he frightened the villagers and ate their children and sheep. But things changed when he fell in love with a beautiful young woman called Agnes and wanted to marry her—despite being a married man," she says. Agnes, a girl who had her wits about her, decided to use the opportunity to free her village from the giant's tyranny. She asked Bolster to prove his love by filling a hole in the rocks by Chapel Porth, a wild and rocky beach, with his blood. 'Bolster didn't know that the pit opened to the sea, and that even if all the blood drained out of his body it wouldn't be enough. He died in the attempt to prove his love and Agnes was hailed as a heroine. The village ultimately ended up taking her name," Hudson says. In a macabre twist, the cliffs at St Agnes are said to be stained with Bolster's blood to this day. 'On really sunny days, a red tinge can be seen, but that's most likely on account of the village's mining heritage," says Jenna Reid, the woman at the till at Cornish Farm Shop. St Agnes hasn't forgotten Bolster the Giant. Every year, on the Sunday of May Day weekend, villagers re-enact the legend with a procession of the giant and all the characters from the story through the village. 'The annual event has been held for 20 years now and brings back how Agnes saved our village from a tyrannical giant. The re-enactment is set to song and dance and is a community celebration, one that the village looks forward to all year round," Reid says. Apart from the legend of Bolster the Giant, St Agnes—affectionately called Aggie—has much going for it. Located about 16km southwest of Newquay, it is surrounded by history and heritage—from the Bronze Age burial sites on St Agnes Beacon to Wheal Coates, the Instagrammable ruins of one of Cornwall's most iconic mining heritage sites. The ancient parish church rises tall at the heart of the village, with its tower being a steadfast landmark against the vivid backdrop of the sea and sky. Not far, a historical row of nine Grade II listed 18th century cottages, charmingly named Stippy Stappy, lead to a wooded valley that runs down to Trevaunance Cove, surrounded by wild and rugged cliffs. I walk over to St Agnes Hotel, located in the middle of the village and established aeons ago by a mining company for its workers. At Aggie, the vibrant in-house pub, I learn why the village and its sights seem so familiar. It's Poldark country! 'St Agnes played a huge role in Winston Graham's Poldark series of novels. Graham moved to nearby Perranporth when he was 17 years old and wrote his 13 novels while he lived there, finding inspiration in the landscape and characters around him," says Jory Trethowan, the server at the pub. It may be a set-jetting location now, but over centuries, mining shaped the landscape and economy of St Agnes. The ruins of the mines, the harbour where coal was received and ore was shipped, and the stately houses of the mine owners tell the story of the village's past. The tiny St Agnes Museum spotlights the region's mining and maritime history. The sleepy village also offers a variety of coastal, valley, and inland walks. Early one morning, I find myself walking towards St Agnes Head, perched above the Atlantic Ocean on the clifftops. A network of footpaths showcases a variety of terrain and striking sea views. The South West Coast Path runs around the head and down to a coastguard lookout station. After the sun sets, the designated Dark Sky Discovery Site offers outstanding stargazing opportunities. I walk away from Chapel Porth Beach Café, enjoying the most popular item on the menu: an 'iced hedgehog", a signature ice cream topped with clotted cream and coated with honey-roasted hazelnuts to resemble the spiny animal. As evening falls on the beach, the world softens into a wash of colour and sound. St Agnes, with its dramatic cliffs, golden beaches, and winding lanes, isn't for everyone. But it's just right for those seeking slow soulful travel. Be it beautiful walks along the shore, the thrill of exploring hidden coves, the joy of browsing indie shops, or simply looking for stars in the night sky, St Agnes has a way of making you feel far away and yet warmly at home. Teja Lele writes on travel and lifestyle.
