Richard Satchwell told gardaí he would not look at any photos of wife's body, court hears

Richard Satchwell told gardaí that if they produced any photographs of his wife's body in interview, he would not look at them, informing detectives: "I want to Tina the way she was, not the way I made her," his trial has heard.

The Central Criminal Court jury also heard today  that gardaí told the murder accused his "second story" about his wife's death, where he said he held her off by the belt of her bathrobe after she attacked him, had "come apart" and did not match up with the evidence.

In his first interview with gardaí following his re-arrest on October 12, 2023 Mr Satchwell said that his wife Tina "flew" at him with a chisel, that he had fallen backwards and described holding the belt of her bathrobe at her neck "until she got heavier".

At the outset of a fourth interview on October 13, 2023, gardaí told Mr Satchwell they were going to show him some photographs. The accused said: "If it's of Tina's body I am not going to look. I want to Tina the way she was, not the way I made her".

Detective Sergeant David Noonan showed the accused a photograph of the sitting room in his home on Grattan Street taken during an initial garda search in 2017. Gardai asked which of the two brown couches he had put Tina on when she died. Mr Satchwell said his wife was laid out on "the one without the tear" and he had since put that couch upstairs.

MARKS

Det Sgt Noonan then asked the accused: "Where are the marks you said were on the wall?". The officer was referring to plasterboard which Mr Satchwell told gardaí his wife was "destroying" with a chisel moments before she "flew" at him.

The Det Sgt continued: "You said the marks were still there and to go and have a look at them".

Mr Satchwell replied: "I also said I can't , the marks weren't going all the way through the plasterboard and I never said that either.....I said it is there somewhere".

Det Sgt told the accused: "When we start to produce evidence, people start to tailor or incorporate their story and try to make slight manoeuvres to make it suit. You said you were coming here and have nothing to lose, that's not true you have a lot to lose as the story you are telling is not making sense".

Mr Satchwell said gardaí would see damage on the plasterboard in more than one place.

"Well where are they?" asked Det Sgt Noonan, referring to the marks.

Mr Satchwell said the marks were "not in view".

Det Sgt Noonan said it was "very clear" that the accused was trying to protect himself "with this new story" he had come up with.

"The evidence speaks for itself, it's clear your second story you come in here with is starting to come apart, not only starting, it has come apart in previous interviews," continued the Det Sgt.

"You said you heard scraping and Tina was bent over, they are the words you used," said Det Sgt Noonan.

Mr Satchwell told officers again how his wife "flew" or "came at" him and he went "off balance". "I was shocked she was doing it," he added.

The Sgt continued: "Every interview you have told us how violent she was, she flew off the handle, she could punch you, knock glasses off your face and you do nothing, you continue driving and don't even stop. How all of a sudden she bent over with the chisel, you come in and say 'what you doing', next thing she flies at you and all of a sudden you are falling onto your back: can you see how it sounds?".

Mr Satchwell replied: "I can see the way you want it to sound".

Det Sgt Noonan told the accused: "This is your . I'm not creating this , these are not my words - they are your words, can you see from my perspective how it sounds?".

The accused replied: "I can see it is your job to tear it apart and bury me".

Det Sgt Noonan continued: "My job is to point out that what you are saying doesn't match up with the evidence. There are so many things you have said that don't add up and it's very important you know these things".

The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women.

The Central Criminal Court has heard that on March 24, 2017, Mr Satchwell told gardaí that his wife Tina had left their home four days earlier but that he had no concerns over her welfare, feeling she had left due to a deterioration in their relationship.

The accused formally reported Ms Satchwell missing the following May but her body was not discovered for over six years, when gardaí in October 2023 conducting "an invasive search" of the Satchwell's home found her decomposed remains in a grave that had been dug underneath the stairs.

The trial has heard gardaí went with a search warrant to the accused's home on Grattan Street in Youghal on October 10 2023, where they arrested him for the murder of Tina Satchwell on or about March 19, 2017 and brought him to Cobh Garda Station. An invasive search of Grattan Street was conducted simultaneously, with gardaí bringing in building equipment to excavate the couple's home.

Mr Satchwell (58), with an address at Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork has pleaded not guilty to murdering his 45-year-old wife Tina Satchwell - nee Dingivan - at that address between March 19 and March 20, 2017, both dates inclusive.