Tina satchwell’s cause of death not determined, jury hears

Tina Satchwell’s cause of death could not be determined after her body was found six years after she went missing, a jury has heard. Her skeletal remains were found under the stairs in the

living room of the home in County Cork, Ireland, that she shared with her husband Richard, formerly of Coalville. Richard Satchwell, of Grattan Street in Youghal, denies murdering his wife

between March 19 and 20, 2017. The jury in Satchwell’s trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin has heard details of the post-mortem examination of Mrs Satchwell after her remains were

found in October 2023, six years after Satchwell reported her missing. At Tuesday's (May 20) hearing, assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the jury that she was asked to

attend the scene where Mrs Satchwell’s remains were found on October 12, 2023. READ MORE: MAN LEFT WITH SERIOUS INJURIES AFTER 'BEING STRUCK BY CAR IN STREET ROW' - FIVE ARRESTED

She said she observed that a wall had been removed and a hole at a depth of approximately 62cm had been dug. She said Mrs Satchwell’s remains, which looked to be in a considerable state of

“longstanding disarray”, were found in what was effectively a grave. Dr Bolger, who told the jury she had completed some 30,000 post-mortem examinations, said she began the examination of

Mrs Satchwell’s remains in the Cork City mortuary that evening. The body had been wrapped in a heavily stained, soiled sheet – which appeared to be a bed sheet. She said the soiling of the

bed sheet was to be expected due to the earth and the decomposition of the body. There was debris and soil present on the body and bones could be seen protruding through the bed sheet. The

body was lying face down and was dressed in pyjamas and a dressing gown. A gold-coloured Playboy branded purse was in the left hand pocket of the dressing gown. Dr Bolger told the jury she

could not examine for external marks or injuries due to the state of the remains and that the organs had decomposed, leaving her unable to comment on the possibility of natural disease. The

skeleton showed no fractures. But she did say the dressing gown cord was in a “very unusual position” and was not threaded through the loops of the gown itself. The cord of the gown was

wrapped over the shoulder, across the chest under the other arm, and wrapped around the back to be tied on the front of the body. The trial continues.