A man changed his “narrative” about his wife’s disappearance after decomposed human remains were found under the sitting room floor of their Co Cork home, a murder trial jury has been told.
Richard Satchwell (58), from Leicester, England, denies the murder of his 45-year-old wife Tina at Grattan Street, Youghal, between March 19th and 20th, 2017.
Her body was found in the house in October 2023.
Outlining the prosecution case at the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, Geraldine Small SC said Mr Satchwell told gardaí his wife had tried to stab him in the head with a chisel on March 20th, 2017.
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Mr Satchwell had said he used her dressing gown belt, which was up around her neck, to fend her off and protect himself, and she “went limp” and died, Ms Small said.
He said he moved her body two days later into a chest freezer and, on March 26th, buried her in a grave dug under the sitting room floor, which was then cemented over, counsel said.
Mr Satchwell had gone to Fermoy Garda station on March 24th, 2017 saying his wife had left home. The jury heard he said that he believed this was because of a deterioration in their relationship, and he was not concerned for her safety. He made further statements later, including to give consent for photos and other material to assist a Garda missing persons investigation.
[ Man charged with wife’s murder told gardaí she came at him with a chiselOpens in new window ]
Ms Small said this investigation found “significant inconsistencies” between its findings and Mr Satchwell’s account concerning his wife’s disappearance, including his account of his movements on the day she died.
Mr Satchwell changed his “narrative” about his wife’s disappearance after human remains, wrapped in black sheeting, were found in their home on October 11th, 2023, Ms Small said. The remains were identified as those of Ms Satchwell. A pathologist was “unsurprisingly” unable to state the cause of death.
In a statement in May 2017, Mr Satchwell said his wife – whom he had married on her 20th birthday – had experienced “a lot of tragedy” over the previous 11 years, including her brother’s death by suicide.
He said he had experienced “real violence” from her three or four times a year, and she would slap him a few times a week. “I never hit her, I took her abuse because of what she was in pain from [in] life,” he said.
When he was told that gardaí had asked his wife’s relatives if he was a danger to her, he said he felt sick. “I would never lay a hand on her, I totally love Tina, I would give my life for her,” he said.
His mother “hated the Irish” and he had to leave home in the UK “and give up my family for Tina”.
The trial is expected to run for up to six weeks before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.
