Murder accused claimed wife was ill in England weeks after her death, court told

A man accused of murdering his wife sold her shoes in the weeks after her death, and told people at car boot sales that she was very ill in England, a court has heard.

The trial of Richard Satchwell, who is accused of the murder of his wife Tina, heard that he was selling her belongings at various car boot sales in Co Cork to pay for repair work at their house.

Satchwell, 58, from Grattan Street in Youghal, is accused of murdering Ms Satchwell at their home between March 19 and 20 2017.

Satchwell, originally from Leicester, in England, denies murder.

The trial also heard that Satchwell had offered to give away a chest freezer on a buyers and sellers’ website, saying it “just needed a clean”.

It is the prosecution’s case that Satchwell kept her remains inside the chest freezer for a number of days before burying her under the stairs in their sitting room.

Giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, mother and daughter Mary and Julie Crowley said they met the couple at a car boot sale in late 2016.

They said they often attend car boot sales around north Cork, including in Blarney and Castletownroche.

She said she had passed the Satchwells’ stall, which had clothes and bags.

Mrs Satchwell was sitting in the car with her partner and she got out to speak to Julie Crowley.

Ms Crowley said she was wearing a pair of Dr. Martens boots, which Mrs Satchwell admired and asked where she had bought them.

Ms Crowley said that Ms Satchwell was wearing sunglasses and had her hair tied back. She had bought a waistcoat from Mrs Satchwell on that occasion.

She told the court that at Easter 2017, she and her mother were at a car boot sale in Blarney when they saw Satchwell.

She noticed that he was selling about six pairs of Dr. Martens boots, some of which were in their original box.

They approached him and he spoke to Mary Crowley, who told the court that she thought the shoes probably belonged to Mrs Satchwell.

At the boot sale Mary Crowley asked Satchwell about his wife and was told that she had developed a serious respiratory infection after moving in to a house which had been empty for some 12 years.

He claimed the house had issues including mould and required serious structural work.

Satchwell told Mrs Crowley that his wife was “very sick” in England and that when she went to the doctors, she was told she was lucky she went when she did as it could have been much worse.

He claimed he was selling her belongs to pay for repair work as they had to hire workers to deal with the mould issues.

Mary Crowley asked what Mrs Satchwell would think about him selling all her clothes, and Satchwell told her that he was instructed by her to sell the items.

Julie Crowley said she bought a pair of black Dr. Martens boots with red roses for 70 euro.

On a separate occasion, on the May Bank Holiday, they met him at a different car boot sale, where he was selling boots.

Mary Crowley told the court that she asked him about his wife, and was told the “same story” about the respiratory illness, from which she was still recovering.

Car boot sale seller Sarah Owens told the court that in May 2017, she went to Satchwell’s stall and saw he was selling women’s clothing, makeup and accessories.

She said most were new and in good condition.

She told the court that Satchwell claimed he had moved into a house which had mould and that his wife had become sick and was in England for treatment.

He told her she was OK, but would have “lasting issues and would not be 100% better”.

“He said she lost a lot of weight and told me her weight but I can’t remember,” she added.

Gerard Carey told the court he got to know Mrs Satchwell after attending various car boot sales in the Cork area.

He described her as a very outgoing and a bubbly person, who was always in good form, adding that she would always dress well.

On April 17 he attended a car boot sale in Blarney, where he he met Satchwell.

He asked where Mrs Satchwell was and was told she was “very ill” and had gone to her sister’s house in England.

Asked if he said anything specific about her prognosis, he claimed that Satchwell said she was so ill she would not attend car boot sales any more.

However, defence barrister Brendan Grehan said that in his 2017 statement to police, he claimed that Satchwell told him that Mrs Satchwell would attend but would “not be the same again”.

Sergeant Ciaran Crowley, who was based at Midleton Garda Station in 2017, made inquiries on the website Done Deal.

The court heard that he received a response from Done Deal in August 2017 confirming that there was an advert placed on the website associated with Satchwell’s phone.

The ad, which was shown to the jury, said: “Large chest freezer. Free to take away. Just needs a clean. Giving it away as I need the space.”

The court was told that the ad was published on March 31, 2017 at 9.49am.

It is the prosecution’s case that Satchwell put his wife’s body in the freezer for a number of days and kept it in the shed before burying it under the stairs.

The jury were also shown footage from his police interview, following his arrest in October, 2023.

He told interviewing gardai how the couple spent the morning and afternoon at a car boot sale in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork.

Satchwell said the only thing “truly strange” thing about the day was when she told a man they both know that she loved Satchwell and “would not do anything to hurt him”.

Tadhg Twomey, a forensic accountant who provides technical advice to assist police investigations, said he was contacted in February 2022 and asked to look into the finances of the Satchwells.

After analysing their bank accounts and Revenue documents, including money from the sale of their former property in Fermoy, he said the couple would not have been able to save the 26,000 euro Satchwell claimed his wife took on the day she went missing.

Satchwell previously told police that they kept the money in a tin box in their attic and that the money was saved over a period of four years, mostly from their takings at car boot sales.

The trial continues.