Richard Satchwell sentenced to life for Tina Satchwell’s murder

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Richard Satchwell was sentenced to life in prison, with the sentence backdated to October 12, 2023, when he entered custody, after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of murdering Tina Satchwell. The verdict came on Friday, May 30, after jurors deliberated for nine hours and 28 minutes over four days.

The trial heard that Tina Satchwell’s remains were found in October 2023 in a grave beneath the stairs of the couple’s Youghal home, more than six years after she was reported missing. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster told the jury that the cause of death could not be determined because the remains were skeletal. She said the dressing gown belt was in an unusual position, but its significance was unclear.

At sentencing on Wednesday, June 4, Satchwell’s counsel told the court that he intended to appeal the unanimous murder verdict. That stated intention does not change the sentence imposed.