Jury in Richard Satchwell trial hear of moment wife's body was uncovered

The jury in the trial of Richard Satchwell has heard of the moment gardaí uncovered the body of his wife Tina in a grave dug almost one metre deep beneath their stairway of their home, over six years after she was reported missing.

The trial heard today how two forensic archaeologists assisted in the excavation of the scene "until a hand was exposed".

Now retired Detective Sergeant Shane Curran, who was the crime scene manager, told Gerardine Small SC, prosecuting, today (MON) he was informed by Detective Garda Brian Barry that he had located an area under the stairs of the Satchwell home where the concrete was different to the surrounding area.

Mr Curran said the concrete was broken with the assistance of contracted builders. Forensic archaeologist Dr Niamh McCullagh was requested to take over the excavation of that area around 7pm on the night of October 11, 2023 he said.

The witness said a clandestine burial of human remains was discovered containing "the full body of an adult female". 

He said Ms Satchwell's body had been wrapped in black plastic sheeting. 

"It was 84cms in depth to the base of the grave which was quite deep," he continued.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, Mr Curran said that over the last 25 years, 20 individuals have been found in "clandestine burials"; "someone not lawfully buried; what I mean is secreted or hidden away".

Mr Curran told Mr Grehan that a Cadaver dog called "Fern" had taken significant interest in the lower steps of the stairway in the sitting room of the house and in the right hand side of the steps where the door went into the kitchen.

SEARCH LED BY DOG

The Central Criminal Court has heard that the search for the body of Ms Satchwell was led by the dog, who had indicated the presence of human remains under the stairway of the missing woman's home.

Mr Curran added: "When the dog made significant indications in the area, we started to remove items from under the stairs, and when Det Gda Barry saw a different pour of concrete there, that tweaked his interest".

Mr Curran said the average depth of a burial site is 52cms, so 84cms was "very very deep". 

He said he believed the reason it was so deep was because the earth under the stairs was sandy and easy to dig.

The witness confirmed that Ms Satchwell's remains were exposed around 8.35pm on the evening of October 11 and the site was fully excavated the next day. He said the remains, which were wrapped in black plastic, were removed from the clandestine burial gravesite and placed into a body bag at 2.40pm on October 12.

Detective Garda Brian Barry said he was at the scene with building contractors, who were using powerful lighting to look under the stairs, when he saw a "different coloured concrete". 

"It was a newer pour of concrete which was very suspicious to me and unusual," he added.

Det Gda Barry said the builders proceeded to break the concrete and the site was dug until black plastic was exposed. He said the black plastic was quite deep at 64cms from the surface, which he described as unusual.

He informed the crime scene manager and waited for forensic archaeologists to arrive at the scene. He said the archaeologists took over the excavation of the scene until a hand was exposed.

Det Gda Barry said he was at the scene again observing the archaeologists on October 12 and had assisted in lifting the deceased out of the clandestine grave.

WALL

He told Mr Grehan that the brick wall under the stairs "was built very poorly, the mortar had dripped and it didn't look like a wall built by someone who knew how to build a wall - and obviously the dog had indicated in this area". It was at this point he "spotted" the new concrete.

Asked whether he was the first person who had "spotted this new concrete", the witness said it was him and the builder.

 "We were both looking in and it occurred to us that there was new concrete there and it looked suspicious".

The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women.

The Central Criminal Court has heard that on March 24, 2017, Mr Satchwell told gardaí that his wife Tina had left their home four days earlier but that he had no concerns over her welfare, feeling she had left due to a deterioration in their relationship.

The accused formally reported Ms Satchwell missing the following May but her body was not discovered for over six years, when gardaí in October 2023 conducting "an invasive search" of the Satchwell's home found her decomposed remains in a grave that had been dug underneath the stairs.

In her opening address, Ms Small told the jury that after the body was recovered, Mr Satchwell told gardaí that he lost his footing and fell to the ground when his wife tried to stab him with a chisel. He told detectives that he held her weight off with a belt but that in a matter of seconds, she was dead in his arms.

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