Jury continues deliberations in Richard Satchwell murder trial for fourth day

Judge outlines self-defence options as jury weighs verdict over death of Tina Satchwell in Youghal, Co Cork

Richard Satchwell (left) leaving the District Court in Cashel, Co Tipperary, after being charged in connection with the murder of his wife Tina Satchwell. Gardai investigating her disappearance have found skeletal remains at a property in Youghal, Co Cork.

A jury has resumed deliberations for a fourth day in the trial of Richard Satchwell, who is accused of murdering his wife, Tina, at their Cork home in March 2017.

The five men and seven women returned to court at 11.33 on Friday morning, having already deliberated for eight hours and 37 minutes prior to today.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury: “I'm going to have the issue paper handed to you and you can continue your deliberations then. Thank you.” 

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

Ms Satchwell’s remains were found in a shallow grave under the stairs of their home in October 2023. Until that point, Mr Satchwell had maintained that he had returned home on 20 March 2017 to find his wife had gone, having taken two suitcases and a sum of money.

He made numerous media appeals expressing the hope that she would return home.

However, following the discovery of her body, he then told gardaí that she "flew" at him with a chisel and she died as he tried to hold her off with a belt. The court heard he then placed her body in a chest freezer before putting her in the shallow grave underneath the stairs.

In his charge to the jury earlier this week, Mr Justice McDermott said that they could consider the issue of self-defence.

The judge said the onus lay on the prosecution to prove that Mr Satchwell was not acting in self defence. He said a scenario had been presented to the jury that the accused was attacked by Ms Satchwell and had sought to defend himself in the manner described in his interviews with gardaí.

He said if the jury decided the force used by Mr Satchwell was reasonable in the circumstances as he honestly believed them to be, then they must acquit him of murder and manslaughter and return a verdict of not guilty.

Mr Justice McDermott said if Mr Satchwell honestly believed he used no more force than was reasonably necessary but the degree of force used was not what a reasonable person would have used, then he was not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

He said if self-defence did not apply, then they could find the accused guilty of murder, provided they were satisfied he intended to kill or cause serious injury.