Irish Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Wife Found Buried Under Stairs in Cork Home

Murder victim, Tina Satchwell

Richard Satchwell has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Tina Satchwell, whose body was discovered buried under the stairs of their home in Youghal, County Cork. The 45-year-old woman was killed in March 2017, and her remains were hidden for more than six years before being recovered by authorities in October 2023.

Following a five-week trial at the Central Criminal Court, the jury reached a unanimous verdict after nine hours and 28 minutes of deliberation, finding Satchwell guilty of murder. The mandatory life sentence was handed down after the court heard powerful victim impact statements from Tina’s grieving family members.

March 24, 2017, Tina Satchwell was reported missing. Her husband, Richard Satchwell, tells police she asked him to go to Dungarvan. He said she was gone when he got home.

Tina’s cousin, Sarah Howard, described the emotional devastation caused by her death, stating Tina was murdered "by someone who claimed to love her." Lorraine Howard, Tina’s half-sister, said the way her sister’s body was concealed in plastic beneath the stairs of her own home "sends shivers down my spine every time I think about it," adding, "I will never be able to forgive Richard Satchwell for what he has done."

Lorraine referred to her sister by her maiden name, Tina Dingivan, and said Satchwell’s actions reflected a desire for control, even in death. Days after the murder, Satchwell falsely reported Tina missing and claimed €26,000 in family savings had also vanished. The British truck driver, originally from Leicester, misled investigators for years.

The Satchwell home

In October 2023, Gardaí returned to the couple’s home on Grattan Street and discovered Tina’s remains buried in a makeshift grave beneath the staircase, encased in cement. Following this discovery, Satchwell was re-arrested and changed his account, claiming Tina had come at him with a chisel and died during a struggle. He admitted to placing her body in a disused freezer before burying her under the stairs.

Satchwell appeared in court wearing a light blue shirt as the verdict was delivered. His defence counsel, Brendan Grehan, announced plans to appeal, stating that Satchwell "never intended to kill Tina." However, the prosecution dismissed his claims as implausible, noting that Satchwell stood at 6ft 2in (188 cm) while Tina weighed only eight stone (approximately 51 kg), and that his version of events was "farcical."

Mr Satchwell tells a TV Show that he had spoken to a man who was "100% certain" he had met Tina Satchwell. He regrets not reporting it immediately.

The prosecution emphasized the deliberate nature of the crime and the elaborate steps Satchwell took to conceal the body and mislead authorities. It also emerged that he had 14 previous convictions between 1999 and 2004, including theft, fraud, and public order offences.

Throughout the trial, Satchwell attempted to depict Tina as violent and unstable, claiming she frequently assaulted him. However, no evidence supported these allegations, and witnesses testified that such claims only surfaced after Tina’s disappearance in 2017.

Richard Satchwell intends to appeal against last week's unanimous jury verdict convicting him of wife's Tina Satchwell's murder

Tina’s family expressed frustration at the portrayal of her character in court, stating it did not reflect who she truly was. Her murder has left a lasting impact on her loved ones, who continue to mourn the loss of a woman they describe as courageous and full of life.