SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF MISSING TINA
GARDAI are still no closer to discovering what happened to missing Tina Satchwell as the first anniversary of her disappearance passed yesterday.
The 45-year-old has not been seen since she left her home in Youghal, Co Cork, on March 20, 2017.
Today we look back at the key facts of the case as the mystery over what happened to her deepens...
■ Tina, who is originally from Fermoy in Cork, leaves the house she shares with her husband without her passport or phone. Richard Satchwell reports her missing to gardai four days later. He said he left home on the day she disappeared to go to Dungarvan and returned a few hours later to an empty house. He noticed she had left her two dogs, Ruby and Heidi, who she brought everywhere with her.
■ Richard tells gardai he believes she has fled with two suitcases. He says Dive at Youghal harbour THE owner of Ireland’s best-known lie detector test service will conduct a polygraph on Tina Satchwell’s husband “at any time or place”.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the 45-year-old Cork woman’s disappearance – which Richard Satchwell has consistently denied having any part of.
He insists he will take a lie detector test when he feels well enough for it.
Sian Devine, who runs Dublinbased Lie Detector Ltd, said : “A polygraph test isn’t infallible, but it’s pretty conclusive.
“If he’s a suitable candidate I’d be more than happy to do the test.”
his wife of 25 years took more than €26,000 in cash with her and she had taken the money, the proceeds of the sale of their house, from a cash box. He claims it was money they both saved up.
■ Three months after Tina goes missing Richard makes an appeal on RTE’S Crimecall asking anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward. Speaking to TV3 in July last year, he insists he has nothing to hide and had no role in Tina’s disappearance. He says: “If I was asked to take a lie detector test I would take one. My house was searched without my knowledge and gardai didn’t find anything. I live on a main street, so my comings and goings are seen. So you know, I don’t know why people are being so malicious. I’m innocent.”
■ In July, Richard claims to have found two suitcases in a Tesco car park that he believes may be Tina’s. However, forensic examinations later determine they do not belong to her.
■ In August, Garda and naval divers carry out an search at Youghal harbour. Nothing is found.
■ In November, Richard tells TV3 News he would not be celebrating Christmas or the festive season without his wife beside him. He said at the time: “If Tina is not here I am not celebrating. We sat down last Christmas Day, and a lot of photos appeared in the press of that day, she said to me that morning we are going to make it the best Christmas we have ever had. It was an absolutely brilliant day. This Christmas, if she is not here there won’t be any Christmas for me.” ■ In January, Richard claims he believes his wife may have had a helping hand in her disappearance. He tells Prime Time Tina may have planned to leave but could not have done it on her own and therefore somebody knows where she is.
■ Last month gardai said there was no CCTV found of Tina at any UK airport or port. After extensive investigations they now believe she never left the country.
■ At the start of March gardai begin a search operation at Mitchel’s Wood, near Castlemartyr, Co Cork, after a witness comes forward. A man tells them he saw another man at the woods in suspicious circumstances. There was also a possibility he spotted the male entering the woods with a blonde woman, but leaving without her. The search was later stepped down and clothing fragments and other items found were sent for analysis.
■ Earlier this month Richard says he Husband Richard at search site would take a lie detector test to prove his innocence. However, he later turned down an offer by a radio station, The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s Red FM. At the time he said: “I need a rest”.
■ During the same radio show he admits to being jailed for a month in 2003 for dole fraud.
■ Two weeks ago he says he no longer believes he is a suspect in the Garda investigation into his wife’s