Gardaí suspected criminality in Tina Satchwell case weeks after disappearance, court told
Richard Satchwell (centre) leaving the District Court in Cashel, Co Tipperary, after being charged in connection with the murder of his wife Tina Satchwell. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA
Gardaí "strongly suspected" that something “criminal” had happened to missing Cork woman Tina Satchwell in the weeks after her disappearance, the murder trial of her husband has heard.
Murder accused Richard Satchwell had reported to gardaí that his wife had voluntarily left the family home at 3 Grattan St., Youghal, on March 20, 2017.
But gardaí’s “concern was rising as time passed,” and there had been no contact from Mrs Satchwell, retired Sergeant John Sharkey, who worked at Youghal Garda Station in 2017, told the Central Criminal Court.
“I became suspicious something untoward had occurred [by late May]," Mr Sharkey said.
“I wasn’t alone in this, it would have been a corporate suspicion [suspicion by gardaí]," he said.
When Mr Satchwell later formally reported his wife missing on May 11, 2017, the case was upgraded to a formal missing person investigation.
Enquiries were made, CCTV was trawled from the general urban area of Youghal, a social media campaign with pictures circulating of Tina was launched, the media was engaged, and house-to-house enquiries were made, Mr Sharkey said.
But the outcome of all the enquiries did not lead to finding Mrs Satchwell or furthering the investigation.
“They were fruitless, I suppose,” Mr Sharkey said.
But “come late May or the start of June, having reviewed the evidence, I strongly suspected something criminal had occurred,” he said.
Gardaí discovered a filthy, unkempt home, with dog faeces on the floor and a birdcage that had not been cleaned in a long time when they searched the Satchwells’ home under warrant on June 7, 2017.
Hundreds of outfits were also found on racks of clothing upstairs, some covered in plastic and appearing to be new and unworn.
Luminol, a chemical that detects the presence of blood, was used by personnel from the Forensic Science Laboratory in the house to look for any blood splatter or residue.
The search began at approximately 7am, the main search concluded at approximately 5pm, and the luminol tests for any blood presence concluded after 7pm, Mr John Sharkey, sergeant at Youghal Garda Station in 2017, said.
Gardaí were concerned that Tina may have been incapacitated by a criminal event, which led to them applying for a warrant to search the Youghal property, he said.
Up to 10 gardaí searched the premises for approximately 12 hours on June 7, 2017.
Mr Satchwell was not present, but a locksmith opened the door, causing no damage, Mr Sharkey said.
It was a thorough, formal search, Mr Sharkey said.
Garda Cathal Whelan, a crime scene investigator with Cobh Garda Station in 2017, took photos of the property during that search of 3 Grattan Street, a three-storey, semi-detached house.
The house was untidy and unkempt, Garda Whelan said, with dog faeces on the floor, a birdcage that had not been cleaned in a long time, and unwashed dishes.
Upstairs, there was a room full of clothing, with clothing racks, some covered in plastic which appeared to be new, he said.
The master bedroom was “again untidy,” with a wall that had been left unpainted, Garda Whelan said.
Upstairs in the attic, there were two rooms containing shoes, handbags, and a sunbed.
Richard Satchwell sat, eyes down, shoulders hunched, as photographic evidence from the first search at his home in June 2017 was being examined.
Dr Edward Connolly, forensic scientist with Forensic Science Ireland, attended the search on June 7, 2017. He examined the “complete” house, including the stairwells, with a chemical to detect the presence of blood.
But no traces were found.
Bluestar Forensic was used, a substance that allows the detection of invisible blood traces, which is used as an aid in a blood search.
A component in blood reacts with a chemical in the product and turns blue, he said.
Dr Connolly was informed the search was for a missing person's case. He “didn’t have a huge brief” on it but said, under cross-examination by Brendan Grehan, SC, that the search might indicate “suspicious or unusual circumstances” in the case.
Richard Satchwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Tina, 45, whose remains were found buried beneath concrete in the sitting room under a stairwell in their Cork home.
He is charged with murdering Tina Satchwell at their home on 3 Grattan St., Youghal, between March 19 and March 20, both dates inclusive.
Satchwell wore an unbuttoned cream checked shirt over a white T-shirt and navy trousers.
The trial, in front of Judge Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men in the Central Criminal Court sitting in Dublin, continues.
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