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Irish Times
19 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
How did Richard Satchwell get away with the murder of his wife Tina for eight years?
From the moment he reported her missing in 2017, Richard Satchwell stuck to his story that his wife Tina had run off. His many media appeals begged her to come home. But as the jury heard during his five-week trial in the Central Criminal Court for her murder, she was indeed home and she had been all along . Richard had killed her in 2017 , dug a hole under the stairs of their terraced Youghal home and buried her. The Garda did look for her – as a missing person – but ' red flags ' emerged soon after her disappearance were 'simply ignored' by gardaí, the court was told. READ MORE What were they? And why did it take until six years after her disappearance for a thorough search of the Satchwell house to take place? Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan tells In the News how the court case unfolded and what happens next. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.
The Journal
20 hours ago
- The Journal
'We knew he was lying': the inside story on how gardaí finally caught Richard Satchwell
ON A BRIGHT sunny October morning in 2023, Richard Satchwell walked – almost stumbling at times – through a square in Cashel, Co Tipperary. Flanked by gardaí and wearing handcuffs, he emerged from a garda vehicle with his head bowed. Locals looked on from the top of the street as the last moments of Satchwell's freedom played out, with the flashes of photographers' cameras lighting up the shadows below his face. Satchwell was charged that day and remanded in custody to wait his trial in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin that concluded on Friday with a guilty verdict. It is a tradition in An Garda Síochána that when there is a big capture the garda who put the most effort into the case gets the charge sheet. On that day Detective Garda David Kelleher gave evidence in the witness box of Satchwell's arrest, charge and caution. Behind the scenes, multiple sources have said that the case would have never been solved if it wasn't for Kelleher's tenacity and sheer bloody mindedness which got the investigation to the point where gardaí could dig inside the terraced house on Grattan Street in Youghal where Tina Satchwell's remains were found. He was ordered, or as Gardaí say 'directed' to work on the file by his then Detective Inspector Annmarie Twomey. Gardaí flank Richard Satchwell as he arrives at Cashel District Court. From left: Det Sgt David Noonan, Richard Satchwell, Det Gda David Kelleher, Det Gda David Barry and Superintendent Adrian Gamble. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Fixing the missteps Sources have said there had been profound missteps in the original investigation that started in 2017, including missed opportunities, leads not followed, glaring holes in stories and phone records not pursued. There was also a hugely expensive search of a woodland when the gardaí leading the probe had very little to go on. A local man had allegedly come forward with information that Richard Satchwell had been spotted in the area – but it proved to not be accurate. Multiple sources have said that the search caused significant disquiet among senior officers, particularly as their budgets for day-to-day policing were left suffering in its wake. The Satchwell case was going cold at that stage – sources said assessments for some garda commanders were that there was a need to focus on cases that could be solved. That was until David Kelleher decided to keep digging in the files. From time to time a garda will be directed to re-examine and review investigations to find new leads. That is what he did. Kelleher found a quiet garda station in east Cork and set up an office as his incident room where he began to examine the case, statement by statement, as well as looking at scraps of evidence and exactly what Richard Satchwell and other witnesses had told gardaí. The quiet station was in Carrigtoohill, a small commuter village just off the N25 dual carriageway which has been dubbed the Cork to Madrid road: it links the south coast cities and towns with the port at Rosslare. The road will also lead you directly to the Satchwell house in Youghal, 30 minutes away. Youghal still shows the signs of the faded seaside glamour of an old Victorian resort. It is a small picturesque seaside town close to the Cork and Waterford border. Tina Satchwell was reported missing on 24 March, 2017. Review Kelleher began to pick the file apart. He found investigative errors and missed leads and bit by bit, he began compiling a new strategy. In evidence given in court, Kelleher's boss Detective Inspector Annmarie Twomey, said it took months to re-examine the file. The evidence included witness statements, CCTV, details of the search of Tina's home in 2017 when she first went missing, inquiries at ports and airports, inquiries with social welfare and the passport offices, media appeals by Gardaí and Richard Satchwell, and inquiries into reported sightings. Well-placed sources said that Kelleher found some key clues in the file, including critical information around phone traffic and their locations. The issue wasn't that the information wasn't collected by the original investigators – it was that it was not identified as a critical part of the puzzle. This examination, sources said, gave them an important jumping off point to test Satchwell's story. The study of phone records produced geolocation data which was then cross-referenced with CCTV footage of Satchwell at Youghal Post Office and Aldi in Dungarvan on 20 March 2017 – the apparent date of the murder. There was an examination of a laptop which found that internet searches had been carried out just days after Tina's disappearance for details on quick lime and how it interacted with water. These searches were never acted on. Around that time gardaí engaged other investigative experts including forensic accountant Tadhg Twomey and forensic archaeologist Dr Niamh McCullagh. There were new lines of enquiry established and 'job sheets' – task assignments – were issued to detectives to follow up particular leads. The accountant had discovered in an examination of the couple's finances that there was no evidence to support Satchwell's claim that Tina had left with €26,000. New statements were taken. The Journal understands that in one discussion with gardaí Satchwell lied about work being done on his house to cover up the pouring of the concrete. The gardaí were able to disprove that by finding the builder Satchwell erroneously claimed carried out the work. Advertisement The town of Youghal. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Unlawful killing' By February 2022, Annmarie Twomey told the trial, gardaí knew they had enough to say that Tina Satchwell was murdered. They reached this point by chasing multiple leads that proved to an objective standard that the woman was dead and the most likely cause was 'unlawful killing'. In 2021 another new part of the strategy was adopted. Detective Sergeant David Noonan conducted a cognitive technique interview with Richard Satchwell. This technique, used by police across the world, employs memory cues and other tactics to enhance recall of people who could have critical information. It took four hours to work through Richard Satchwell's story and Noonan told the court that Satchwell was co-operative throughout. Using what they were finding in the file Kelleher and Twomey continued to find holes in Satchwell's story. By August 2022, they knew they had enough to begin, as gardaí would say, to form a reasonable belief that Richard Satchwell had murdered his wife. They did not immediately arrest Satchwell though. More work was needed. The reports by Dr Niamh McCullagh, the forensic archaeologist, were critical to devising a new forensic strategy. During the trial there was criticism of the original investigators for not carrying out an invasive search of the house in Youghal. A forensic examination was carried out by Cork-based gardaí after a local sergeant in Youghal formed an opinion that it was likely Tina Satchwell was dead in 2017. A senior source we spoke to said that it was unfair to criticise gardaí for not doing an invasive search then rather than just a careful forensic examination and added that they could not 'knock walls' in a house with nothing more than a suspicion. That may be but there were some significant issues with the investigation, including a failure to follow up evidence of the laptop search by Satchwell regarding the quick lime or the geolocation evidence – not to mention the lack of a forensic examination of the finances. But that all changed with Kelleher's doggedness. The investigation neared its completion and there was a final meeting of gardaí shortly before they made their move. The Detective Superintendent in Cork Sean Healy was involved. Gardaí conducting the search at Grattan Street. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Executing the warrant Kelleher and Twomey's work convinced him that it was time to take a significant turn and free up a budget to go to Grattan Street in Youghal and begin the painstaking work of forensically excavating the house. Twomey obtained a search warrant from the District Court in early October 2023. On 10 October the guards began their move. Twomey went to Grattan Street and told Satchwell what was happening. Kelleher arrested Satchwell. It was a dramatic move. Some sources at the time told The Journal that they doubted whether it would work, but others, closer to Cork North Division, knew this was the moment that the lies Richard Satchwell told were all going to fall apart. One source said on the day: 'There's a DO [garda slang for detective] involved, a fella Kelleher – he's convinced [that this will work]'. Garda forensic experts from Dublin were brought in and construction workers with specialist digging equipment were hired. Under the stairs the searchers found poorly poured concrete and badly built brickwork that did not match the rest of the surroundings. It was here where they found the makeshift tomb where, wrapped in plastic, Tina Satchwell's body was located. Satchwell had been released by gardaí but he was rearrested. The gardaí then had what they needed: the evidence to burst the final lies. All the police work invariably leads to a garda interview room. And in Cobh Garda Station, under camera, Satchwell was confronted with the weight of evidence in what gardaí call 'the challenge interview'. Sources said there were four detectives involved in this part of the process: David Noonan, David Kelleher, David Barry and John Donovan. The gardaí received directions to charge from the Director of Public Prosecutions and performed what was described in court by Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan as 'a perp walk'. The culture in the gardaí is that they do the probe and then leave it to the prosecuting barristers to convince the jury. Right up until the verdict, sources said that there were concerns among the gardaí that there was not enough to prove the murder because there were some doubts around establishing the critical ingredient of intent for Satchwell to be found guilty of murder. The gardaí will gather tonight in a local pub with those involved and toast the success – but as one source said there is a macabre little bit of detail that has not been confirmed. Satchwell had stored Tina's body in a large freezer before burying her in the makeshift grave under the stairs. It was later sold online through the Done Deal website. As one source said: 'No-one knows where it is, it has never been found. It is likely a family is using it to store food somewhere in Ireland and they don't know its history.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... 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North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Richard Satchwell found guilty of wife's murder
The British truck driver, 58, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. He did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at around 12.23pm on Friday. The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell cried as the guilty verdict was returned, while a number of the jurors also wept in court. Satchwell, who sat with his head in his hand as the jury entered the courtroom, will be sentenced on June 4. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, and the belt of the gown was wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. During Garda interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed that she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He added that Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, she went limp and fell into his arms. He then placed her body on the couch in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. It was more than six years before gardai discovered her body. Speaking outside court, Tina's cousin Sarah Howard said the family 'finally have justice' following the conviction of Satchwell. She said: 'During this trial Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was. 'Tina was our precious sister, cousin, auntie and daughter. Her presence in our life meant so much to us all. 'We, as a family, can never put into words the impact that her loss has had on all of us. 'Tina was a kind, loving, gentle soul who loved her animals like they loved her and that is the way we want her remembered. 'Today, as a family, we finally have justice for Tina.' Tina's half-sister Lorraine Howard thanked the judge and the prosecution team. 'Your hard work, professionalism shone through like the classy ladies you were. We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are for you. We want to sincerely thank the judge, the jury for their dedication,' Ms Howard said. 'We would like to thank all the witnesses who helped us reach this verdict today. I would like to personally thank Sarah Howard, Tina's niece, who came up to give evidence and her support two weeks postpartum from her beautiful baby girl. You did yourself and Tina proud. 'Thank you to Ann Marie Twomey and Dave Kelleher for putting the pieces together and finding Tina. 'We would like to thank John O'Connell, the victim support workers, for keeping our spirits high.' The court previously heard that the couple married in the UK when Mrs Satchwell turned 20 and later moved to Ireland and bought a house in Fermoy, Co Cork. The couple lived there for some time before selling the property and buying the house in Youghal in 2016. Mrs Satchwell was described in court as a 'very glamorous' lady who had a love for fashion and clothes. The court heard that she loved her two dogs, particularly her chihuahua, Ruby, and considered them her children. She was described as a petite lady, about 5ft 4in, who weighed about eight stone (50 kilograms). The trial heard that on March 24 2017, Satchwell went to the garda station in Fermoy, four days after his wife allegedly left their family home. He told police he had no concerns for her welfare and had no concerns she would self-harm. Satchwell said he believed she had left their family home because their relationship had deteriorated. He believed she was staying at a hotel and claimed she had taken 26,000 euro in cash from their savings, which they kept in the attic. He told police that on the morning she allegedly left the home, Mrs Satchwell had asked him to go to Aldi in Dungarvan to buy a number of items, including parrot food, and that he had left the house at 10am and returned in the early afternoon. When he returned to the house, Mrs Satchwell was not there but noticed her keys on the floor and her phone sitting on the counter. He formally reported his wife as missing in May 2017, and also told investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him but he had put up with it because he loved her. During their investigation, gardai found that Satchwell's computer had searches for quicklime shortly after his wife disappeared. In August 2021, Superintendent Ann marie Twomey was appointed senior investigating officer, and along with Detective Garda David Kelleher from Cobh Garda Station, she familiarised herself with the case. She identified new lines of inquiry and came to the conclusion that Tina has met her death by unlawful means and was not a living person. Investigators obtained a court search warrant and in October 2023, gardai arrested Satchwell for murder following the discovery of his wife's remains. During the trial, the jury heard that Sarah Howard, Tina's cousin, had been offered a chest freezer and free concert tickets. She said she thought the offer was 'very unusual' and refused both. Tina's half sister, Lorraine Howard described their marriage as odd, and said that Satchwell was possessive of Tina, and referred to her as his 'trophy wife'. She said that Satchwell portrayed his wife as being violent after she disappeared, and said he would show her every cut and scar on his body and blame Tina for it. In her closing speech, prosecution barrister Geradine Small said that Satchwell was 'shamelessly brazen' and the narrative he gave about how his wife died was implausible and had 'more holes than than a block of Swiss cheese'. She said that he displayed 'conniving actions, full of guile', and embarked on a 'web of deceit' after he buried his wife. The prosecution described Satchwell's narrative as implausible and self-serving, highlighting his failure to seek help after Tina's death.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Jury in Richard Satchwell's murder trial continues deliberations
A jury is continuing to consider its verdict in the trial of murder accused Richard Satchwell on a fourth day of deliberations. The 58-year-old has denied murdering his wife Tina at their home in Co Cork in 2017. Mr Satchwell, of Grattan Street in Youghal, is accused of murdering his wife between March 19 and 20 2017. Her remains were found under the stairs in the living room of their home in October 2023, six years after Mr Satchwell, originally from Leicester, reported her missing. The panel at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin was sent out by Mr Justice Paul McDermott at 11.34am on Friday. They have been deliberating verdicts for a total of eight hours and 37 minutes since Tuesday. The time does not include breaks. The jury was previously told it must 'consider carefully' any reasonable possibility that what the accused says about his wife's death is true. It has also been told to consider the reasons why he went to elaborate lengths to deceive his wife's family and Irish police to persuade them she was still alive, all while knowing she was dead. The judge told the jurors there are a number of verdicts open to them, including guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty on the basis of self-defence, which would lead to an acquittal. They have also been told to examine all material and statements put before them throughout the five-week trial. The jury heard from more than 50 witnesses including gardai involved in the investigation. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was found wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the belt of the gown wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. During Garda interviews, Mr Satchwell claimed that on the morning of March 20, he had found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He said Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Mr Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, his wife went limp and fell into his arms. He said he then placed her body on the couch in the living room before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. Her remains were found by gardai more than six years after she was reported missing.
Leader Live
a day ago
- Leader Live
Richard Satchwell found guilty of wife's murder
The British truck driver, 58, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between March 19 and March 20 2017. He did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at around 12.23pm on Friday. The jury had been deliberating for a total of nine hours and 28 minutes since Tuesday afternoon. Relatives of Mrs Satchwell cried as the guilty verdict was returned, while a number of the jurors also wept in court. Satchwell, who sat with his head in his hand as the jury entered the courtroom, will be sentenced on June 4. Gardai discovered Mrs Satchwell's skeletal remains buried under the stairs of their home in October 2023 after a search of the property in Grattan Street. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet. She was wearing pyjamas with a dressing gown, and the belt of the gown was wrapped around her. State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said she could not determine the exact cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition. During Garda interviews, Satchwell said that on the morning of March 20 2017, he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping at the plasterboard. He claimed that she came at him with the chisel, and he fell back on to the floor. He added that Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and that he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the robe against her neck. Satchwell said that in a very short period of time, she went limp and fell into his arms. He then placed her body on the couch in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs. It was more than six years before gardai discovered her body. Speaking outside court, Tina's cousin Sarah Howard said the family 'finally have justice' following the conviction of Satchwell. She said: 'During this trial Tina was portrayed in a way that is not true to who she was. 'Tina was our precious sister, cousin, auntie and daughter. Her presence in our life meant so much to us all. 'We, as a family, can never put into words the impact that her loss has had on all of us. 'Tina was a kind, loving, gentle soul who loved her animals like they loved her and that is the way we want her remembered. 'Today, as a family, we finally have justice for Tina.' Tina's half-sister Lorraine Howard thanked the judge and the prosecution team. 'Your hard work, professionalism shone through like the classy ladies you were. We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are for you. We want to sincerely thank the judge, the jury for their dedication,' Ms Howard said. 'We would like to thank all the witnesses who helped us reach this verdict today. I would like to personally thank Sarah Howard, Tina's niece, who came up to give evidence and her support two weeks postpartum from her beautiful baby girl. You did yourself and Tina proud. 'Thank you to Ann Marie Twomey and Dave Kelleher for putting the pieces together and finding Tina. 'We would like to thank John O'Connell, the victim support workers, for keeping our spirits high.' The court previously heard that the couple married in the UK when Mrs Satchwell turned 20 and later moved to Ireland and bought a house in Fermoy, Co Cork. The couple lived there for some time before selling the property and buying the house in Youghal in 2016. Mrs Satchwell was described in court as a 'very glamorous' lady who had a love for fashion and clothes. The court heard that she loved her two dogs, particularly her chihuahua, Ruby, and considered them her children. She was described as a petite lady, about 5ft 4in, who weighed about eight stone (50 kilograms). The trial heard that on March 24 2017, Satchwell went to the garda station in Fermoy, four days after his wife allegedly left their family home. He told police he had no concerns for her welfare and had no concerns she would self-harm. Satchwell said he believed she had left their family home because their relationship had deteriorated. He believed she was staying at a hotel and claimed she had taken 26,000 euro in cash from their savings, which they kept in the attic. He told police that on the morning she allegedly left the home, Mrs Satchwell had asked him to go to Aldi in Dungarvan to buy a number of items, including parrot food, and that he had left the house at 10am and returned in the early afternoon. When he returned to the house, Mrs Satchwell was not there but noticed her keys on the floor and her phone sitting on the counter. He formally reported his wife as missing in May 2017, and also told investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him but he had put up with it because he loved her. During their investigation, gardai found that Satchwell's computer had searches for quicklime shortly after his wife disappeared. In August 2021, Superintendent Ann marie Twomey was appointed senior investigating officer, and along with Detective Garda David Kelleher from Cobh Garda Station, she familiarised herself with the case. She identified new lines of inquiry and came to the conclusion that Tina has met her death by unlawful means and was not a living person. Investigators obtained a court search warrant and in October 2023, gardai arrested Satchwell for murder following the discovery of his wife's remains. During the trial, the jury heard that Sarah Howard, Tina's cousin, had been offered a chest freezer and free concert tickets. She said she thought the offer was 'very unusual' and refused both. Tina's half sister, Lorraine Howard described their marriage as odd, and said that Satchwell was possessive of Tina, and referred to her as his 'trophy wife'. She said that Satchwell portrayed his wife as being violent after she disappeared, and said he would show her every cut and scar on his body and blame Tina for it. In her closing speech, prosecution barrister Geradine Small said that Satchwell was 'shamelessly brazen' and the narrative he gave about how his wife died was implausible and had 'more holes than than a block of Swiss cheese'. She said that he displayed 'conniving actions, full of guile', and embarked on a 'web of deceit' after he buried his wife. The prosecution described Satchwell's narrative as implausible and self-serving, highlighting his failure to seek help after Tina's death.
