Courts / Cork / Report

Richard Satchwell's 'farcical' narrative of wife's death has more holes than 'block of Swiss cheese', prosecutor tells jury

Date
2025-05-23

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Cork

County
Cork

Summary

In the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that Richard Satchwell fabricated a story about his wife Tina's death, claiming he held her by the belt of her bathrobe and that she had flown at him with a chisel. The defence maintained that Satchwell was guilty of causing her death but disputed the intent and the circumstances, noting that the body's skeletal remains made the cause of death indeterminate. The prosecution highlighted Satchwell's repeated lies, his concealment of the body under the stairs, and his attempts to create a digital footprint to mislead investigators. The defence emphasised the lack of evidence for intent to kill, the delays in the investigation, and the possibility of self‑defence. The trial, set to continue, will determine whether Satchwell is found guilty of murder, manslaughter or another charge.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Richard Satchwell's 'farcical' narrative of wife's death has more holes than 'block of Swiss cheese', prosecutor tells jury. Procedural stage: trial

When:

March 24, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
October 2023 Incident
March 20, 2017 Incident
March 24 2017 Other
June 2021 Other
October 10, 2023 Incident
October 12 Incident
January 2022 Other
June 2017 Other
March 19 Other
2025-05-23 Publication

Why: Ms Small said Mr Satchwell's objective from the very outset was "always to put everyone off the scent" and that this was done because he had murdered Tina. CNI source report