Gardaí told Richard Satchwell they had 'taken his story apart' as they gathered evidence on his wife's death

Court heard there were significant inconsistencies between Mr Satchwell's version of events and the emerging evidence

Richard Satchwell had told gardaí his wife 'flew at him' with a chisel, he fell on the floor, she jumped on him, trying to stab him with it, and he grabbed her dressing gown belt, held it to her neck to protect himself and she then collapsed dead into his arm.

In heated interviews, gardaí told murder-accused Richard Satchwell his “story” was coming apart, as evidence gathered was building a different picture to the one he had "constructed".

“It’s evidence that speaks for itself,” Detective Sergeant Dave Noonan said in a recorded interview at Cobh Garda Station on October 13, 2023, after Mr Satchwell had been arrested for his wife Tina's murder.

“The story you came in here with is starting to come apart.

“It’s actually already come apart in previous interviews.” 

Mr Satchwell had been shown photos of the house on 3 Grattan St, Youghal, where Tina Satchwell's body was found, buried in a shallow grave in sandy soil beneath the sitting room in October 2023.

Mr Satchwell said he was trying to “please” gardaí and cooperate.

He said coping with his wife's death had been difficult.

“I tried for my own brain to get rid of the memories. I had to rediscover myself, and I did," he said.

But Det Sgt Noonan said there were significant inconsistencies between Mr Satchwell's version of events and the emerging evidence.

"It's very clear what you're doing. You're trying to protect yourself," Det Sgt Noonan said.

Gardaí had "taken his story apart".

"We have evidence than destroys your picture."

Mr Satchwell was "trying to allude" he was coming forward to gardaí with information about what happened to his wife.

But he only gave gardaí this story after they had found his wife's decomposing body in their home.

"You had to think on your feet, so you started to construct your story," Det Sgt Noonan said.

“What you’re saying does not match up with the evidence, there are so many things that you've said that do not add up," he said.

When examining photos of the area where Mr Satchwell said the fatal altercation with his wife took place, it appeared as if Mrs Satchwell would have been scraping the chisel low behind a spindle from the staircase when Mr Satchwell emerged from the kitchen.

Mr Satchwell had told gardaí his wife "flew at him" with a chisel, he fell on the floor, she jumped on him, trying to stab him with it, and he grabbed her dressing gown belt, held it to her neck to protect himself and she then collapsed dead into his arms.

Det Sgt Noonan noted inconsistencies between how Mr Satchwell described his wife’s body position when using the chisel on the plasterboard.

“You never said she was bent over to me, you’re now saying that,” he said.

Mr Satchwell replied: “She was scraping the wall, that’s all I ever said.” 

People start to tailor their story and "try to make a slight manoeuvre to make it suit,” Det Sgt Noonan said.

“You said you came in here to tell us everything, that you have nothing to lose. But you have a lot to lose.” “Now all of a sudden, Tina is bent over, using a chisel against the wall.

“All of a sudden, it’s behind a spindle and down low because she was bending down.” 

Mr Satchwell said he was so “shocked” by his wife “flying” at him that he “was off balance” and fell.

But Det Sgt Noonan said this was surprising, as Mr Satchwell had consistently spoken of his wife’s violence. He had told gardaí about how she could suddenly punch him and knock his glasses off while driving, and that he would never retaliate.

Det Sgt Noonan also noted some confusion over the couch Mr Satchwell said he had placed his wife’s dead body on.

Mr Satchwell said: "I can see it is your job to tear us apart, to bury me."

Det Sgt Noonan denied he was being “cloak and dagger” with Mr Satchwell and he said he did not know why Mr Satchwell was “holding back to confuse it”. 

“Maybe you have cotton wool in your ears,” Mr Satchwell said after he was asked multiple times about whether glass in the door in the sitting room had ever been replaced.

“I don’t mean to be cocky.” 

Det Sgt Noonan said he was not being “cocky", he was being "smart”. 

A smiling Tina Satchwell sat cross-legged, wearing red knee-high socks, white slip on shoes, and a black jumper dress in a photo from December 2016, a Christmas tree in the background, two small dogs on her knee and a large parrot cage with a green bird at her side.

The house looked clean in the photo shown to the Central Criminal Court, Det Sgt Noonan noted.

But as subsequent photos taken after her death were shown to the court, the house looked increasingly cluttered and dirty.

Mr Satchwell claimed he was “the chief cleaner” in the house during his wife’s life, but she would “go over” things if his cleaning was not up to her standards.

He has also repeatedly said he did all home improvements in their house and claimed he made his wife breakfast every day.

Richard Satchwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife, Tina Satchwell, nee Dingivan, 45, at their home in Youghal in March 2017.

The trial continues.