A man told gardaí his wife “went limp” and died after he used her dressing gown belt to protect himself when she tried to stab him in the head with a chisel, a Central Criminal Court jury has been told.
Richard Satchwell told gardaí he moved his wife Tina‘s body two days later to a chest freezer in the shed and, two more days later, buried her in a grave he dug under the sittingroom floor which he cemented over, prosecuting counsel Gerardine Small SC said.
Mr Satchwell changed his “narrative” about his wife’s 2017 disappearance after her decomposed remains, wrapped in black sheeting, were found in their home in October 2023, counsel said. A pathologist was “unsurprisingly” unable to state the cause of death.
Ms Small, with barrister Imelda Kelly, opened the prosecution case on Tuesday in the trial of Mr Satchwell (58), from Leicester, England, who denies the murder of his 45-year-old wife Tina at number three Grattan Street, Youghal, between March 19th and 20th, 2017, inclusive.
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The Satchwells married in the UK on Tina’s 20th birthday and moved to Ireland. She was a “very petite”, “very glamorous lady” who adored her two dogs, Ms Small said.
Mr Satchwell went to Fermoy Garda station on March 24th, 2017, where he told gardaí his wife left home about four days earlier. He said he had no concerns for her welfare and felt she left due to a deterioration in their relationship.
The accused later made formal statements in which he said Ms Satchwell had asked him on March 20th to go to Dungarvan to pick up some items.
When he returned home, she was not there but her keys and phone and her dogs were, which was “unusual”.
Two suitcases and €26,000 they had saved, were missing, he said.
He told gardaí she left because of deterioration in their relationship, she had a “short fuse” and was liable to “violent outbursts” directed at him.
The court heard gardaí searched the house at Grattan Street in June 2017. This search was not forensic, but electronic devices were taken.
Counsel said “significant inconsistencies” later emerged between the Garda missing persons investigation and what Mr Satchwell had told gardaí.
The jury would also hear Mr Satchwell sent an email at 10.42am on March 20th, 2017, to an animal rescue organisation the couple were having difficulties buying two monkeys from. The email said he had put a lot of work into getting the monkeys and his wife was saying she would leave him over this.
A Garda operation on October 10th, 2023, involved the arrest of Mr Satchwell and an extensive search of the house at Grattan Street, counsel said.
Mr Satchwell maintained “the same narrative” of going to Dungarvan on March 20th, 2017, and finding his wife missing on his return.
[ Tina Satchwell case: A timeline of the investigation into her disappearanceOpens in new window ]
He was released on October 11th as the search continued and, later that evening, decomposed remains were found.
Mr Satchwell was rearrested on October 12th and his narrative changed, counsel said. He said, on returning to the house from a shed about 9.05am on March 20th, he saw his wife in a dressing gown at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping plasterboard he had put up.
He said he asked her what was she doing, she flew at him with the chisel, he fell backwards, and she was on top of him trying to stab him in the head with the chisel, counsel said.
Mr Satchwell had said all he could do to protect himself was take a belt which was up around her neck and hold her weight off himself by that. He had said she fell limp in seconds and died.
The jury also heard evidence from four gardaí who had interactions with Mr Satchwell, and various statements by him were read.
In a statement of May 11th, 2017, in relation to a missing person’s report, Mr Satchwell said he believed his wife had an undiagnosed psychiatric condition which became worse over time.
In a statement of May 15th, he said there was “a lot of tragedy” for his wife over the previous 11 years, including her brother’s death by suicide.
He said he experienced “real violence” from her three or four times a year and she would slap him a few times a week.
When told that gardaí had asked relatives of his wife 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.” His mother “hated the Irish” and he had to “give up my family for Tina”.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
