TINA Satchwell’s cousin informed the Central Felony Courtroom that she thought it was “very unusual” when Richard Satchwell supplied her a chest freezer as a result of he “wasn’t the type to provide stuff away”.
Sarah Howard additionally informed the jury she had “by no means” seen Tina violent in direction of her husband.
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She informed the jury: “She was kind-hearted. A loving household particular person. She liked animals, she was bubbly. She was enjoyable, outgoing, she liked her trend. She was only a pretty particular person.”
Prosecutor Gerardine Small SC went via a variety of textual content messages between Satchwell and Ms Howard within the months after Tina disappeared.
In a message despatched on March 30, 2017 – 10 days after Richard stated Tina had left the marital residence in Youghal – he despatched a textual content message saying: “Sarah, would you like our chest freezer. Richard.”
Requested by Ms Small, did she reply to that, she replied: “No.”
Ms Howard added: “I discovered it uncommon. He wouldn’t be the type to provide stuff away. I assumed it was very unusual
“We have been at a automobile boot sale as soon as. I had my two youngsters with me, Richard and Tina had a stall. Tina was off shopping for stuff and Richard was on the stall. The youngsters picked up nail varnish and a CD and he charged them 50c every.
“So when he supplied that I assumed it was uncommon.”
The court has already heard that the accused informed gardai that Tina died on the morning of March 20, 2017, when she “flew” at him with a chisel earlier than she “went limp” after he tried to guard himself by holding her away from him with a belt, together with her weight on the belt by her neck.
He then put her physique in a chest freezer for a number of days, earlier than eradicating it, wrapping it in black, plastic sheeting and burying it in a grave he had dug underneath their stairs.
In one other textual content despatched on April 30, 2017, Satchwell stated: “Sarah, I’ve gained two tickets to Purple Rain on the Cork Opera Home on Might 18. I can’t go. Would you like them?”
NOT GUILTY PLEA
Requested by Ms Small did she reply to that, Ms Howard stated: “I didn’t.”
Satchwell, 58, has pleaded not responsible to the homicide of his spouse Tina, 45, at their residence on Grattan Avenue, Youghal, Co Cork a while between March 19 and 20, 2017.
The trial has heard that on March 24, 2017, Satchwell informed gardai that his spouse Tina had left their residence 4 days earlier however that he had no considerations over her welfare, feeling she had left because of a deterioration of their relationship.
He formally reported her lacking the next Might however her physique was not found for over six years, when gardai carried out “an invasive search” of the Satchwell residence in October 2023 and located her decomposed stays.
‘COMPLETE MYSTERY’
The jury was additionally proven at the moment a clip of an interview Ms Howard gave to Prime Time on RTE in July 2017.
Within the video, she says: “It’s a whole thriller. It’s tearing us aside the place she is. Day by day when you’ve missed calls on the cellphone, you’re checking the papers for information however nothing.
“There’s a great deal of totally different ideas in my head. We don’t know what occurred, we don’t have the solutions. No person can disappear with out anybody understanding, somebody has to know one thing.”
The witness stated she had all the time been very near Tina however after she moved to Youghal in Might, 2016 she didn’t see her as a lot.
‘WAS IN GREAT FORM’
She stated the final time she noticed her was in Ms Howard’s home in Ballyporeen simply earlier than Christmas 2016.
She stated: “She was in nice kind, actually comfortable. She stayed for some time, the canine have been together with her.”
Ms Howard stated she heard Tina was lacking on March 26, 2017 when she referred to as to her mom’s home.
She informed the jury: “I rang her cellphone right away. When she didn’t reply I rang Richard’s cellphone.
‘VERY UNUSUAL’
“I requested him the place she was and questioned him why canine weren’t together with her. It was very uncommon that the canine have been there and I requested him what had occurred.
“He stated they’d an argument and he or she had left him. He stated she had thrown a cup at him.
“He stated she took a sum of cash and he discovered her keys on the ground when he got here again. She had despatched him on an errand to Dungarvan.”
Requested by Ms Small if he stated the rest was gone, and he or she replied: “Suitcases.”
TEXT MESSAGES
She added: “That they had been at a automobile boot sale on the Sunday. He stated that she made a remark that she had wasted 28 years of her life with him however we had by no means heard that earlier than.”
Ms Small requested her in relation to the violence, he informed you she had thrown cups at him and if she had heard that earlier than.
Ms Howard replied: “By no means.”
Counsel then went via a collection of textual content messages, which have already been opened to the courtroom, exchanged between the pair between March and July 2017.
‘I FEEL I LET HER DOWN’
Satchwell repeated to Ms Howard that there was no information relating to Tina.
In a single despatched on June 27, 2017 the accused stated to her: “I do know Tina is your loved ones. I’m not your loved ones. She is barely my spouse. She is my life, she is my the whole lot. I really feel I let her down in a roundabout way.”
Requested by Ms Small, if she ever witnessed her being violent or aggressive, Ms Howard once more stated: “By no means.”
In cross-examination by Brendan Grehan SC, for Satchwell, how previous she was when Richard and Tina met, she stated: “Very younger, two I believe.”
‘DEVOTED’
She stated her first reminiscence of Richard was when she was about 5 and 6. She stated she didn’t recall them getting married.
Ms Howard stated the couple had been in her home however she had by no means been in hers.
She agreed that he seemed to be “devoted” to her and he was “all the time together with her when she was down.”
She agreed that Tina was near her grandmother, who had raised her and who has since handed.
PROSECUTION FINISHES EVIDENCE
Ms Howard stated she was conscious Tina had a falling out together with her organic mom.
Requested by Mr Grehan if Tina had resented her as a result of she had given her up, the witness stated: “I can’t say.”
The prosecution have now completed their proof within the case.
The trial continues earlier than Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven males and 5 girls.
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