A truck driver has been found guilty of murdering his wife, whose remains were discovered under the stairs of their home in Ireland. Richard Satchwell, 58, originally from Leicester, denied killing Tina Satchwell between March 19 and March 20, 2017.
The skeletal remains of Tina Satchwell were found in October 2023, six years after her husband reported her missing. The jury reached a unanimous verdict after deliberating since Tuesday afternoon at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Satchwell showed no reaction when the verdict was announced.
During the trial, which lasted five weeks, jurors heard from over 50 witnesses, including police officers involved in the case. Authorities found Tina’s remains wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with a black plastic sheet, buried under the stairs in the living room. She was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the gown’s belt wrapped around her.
A state pathologist could not determine the exact cause of death due to the state of decomposition. In police interviews, Richard Satchwell claimed that on the morning of March 20, 2017, he found Tina at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand. He alleged that she came at him with the chisel, leading to a struggle where he restrained her with the belt of her robe. He said she became limp and fell into his arms.
After the incident, he initially placed her body on the sofa, then moved her to a chest freezer, and ultimately buried her under the stairs. The emotional toll of the verdict was evident, as relatives of Tina Satchwell wept in the courtroom. Richard Satchwell is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4.
