The jury at the trial of Richard Satchwell today heard assessments of the couple’s financial situation.
The 57-year-old of Grattan Street, Youghal, County Cork has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tina Satchwell at the same address in March 2017.
Mr Satchwell had previously said in 2017 that his wife had left their home due to a deterioration in their relationship, taking €26,000 in savings from a box in the attic with her.
This was prior to the discovery of Ms Satchwell’s body in a shallow grave under the stairs of the couple’s home in 2023.
Tina SatchwellNewstalk’s Southern reporter Jamie O’Hara said a member of the Garda Economic Crime Bureau told the court today that he could see “no sign” of any cash windfall that the couple had received.
"[Forensic accountant Tadhg Twomey] said the couple had had one bank account, and he also found a Western Union account and a MoneyGram account, which is similar,” Jamie told The Pat Kenny Show.
“Mr Twomey said the bank account was overdrawn between September 2015 and April 2017, and he identified withdrawals and deposits from the money transfer accounts.
“He also said – and this is in dollars – the Western Union account was in the negative for $8,869.”
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Mr Twomey said he found that Tina Satchwell had a line for credit for €4,500 with online retailer Littlewoods which was 90% fully used most of the time but went over the limit minorly at the end of 2017.
“[Mr Twomey] also gave evidence about the sale of the couple’s house in Fermoy and their purchase of the house in Youghal,” Jamie said.
“He said that after fees and everything that had been paid, that they had a positive balance on that transaction, i.e; one house to the other and paying off all the ancillary costs, that they had a positive balance of €372.
“He said there was also no sign of any cash windfall that the couple had received when asked by the prosecution barrister Gerardine Small if there had been any cash windfall or any evidence of one.”
Evidence was also heard from witnesses familiar with the couple from car boot sales which they regularly attended.
Witnesses stated that in April 2017, Mr Satchwell said his wife’s absence from the car boot sales was due to a respiratory infection.
Main image: Richard Satchwell leaves 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. Picture date: Saturday October 14, 2023.
