‘No contact from Gardai 25 yrs after confession’
GARDAI WARNED OVER BOOK OF EVIDENCE DELAY
PAEDOPHILE sports coach Bill Kenneally has claimed his molestation of boys “wouldn’t have been regarded as onequarter as serious” in 1987 as it is nowadays.
The convicted abuser said he told Gardai in a 1987 meeting that he was touching children, but “heard nothing” on the matter until 25 years later.
The former Waterford basketball coach gave evidence yesterday at the Commission of Investigation examining the response of gardai and others to allegations of sexual abuse made against him.
Kenneally (73), formerly of Summerville Avenue, Waterford city, is serving a prison term after pleading guilty to 10 sample counts of indecently assaulting 10 boys at various locations in Waterford in the 1980s.
Meeting A JUDGE has warned gardai that the murder charge against Richard Satchwell over the death of his wife Tina could be struck out if the book of evidence is not ready in two weeks’ time.
Judge Brian O’Shea told gardai in Clonmel District Court that the case against the Englishman may be dismissed by the court on March 26 if the book of evidence isn’t produced on that date.
He said: “You are facing an uphill struggle not to have it struck out on that date if you don’t have the book of evidence. I am expecting the book to be here.”
Mr Satchwell (57), from Leicester, appeared in court by video link yesterday having previously been charged with the murder of his wife.
The former truck driver was charged in October of last year with the murder, contrary to common law, of Tina Satchwell on March 20, 2017 at a location in
Cork.
Mr Satchwell was charged after the skeletal remains of Mrs Satchwell were found underneath the stairwell of her home in Grattan Street in Youghal, Co Cork.
She had been reported missing since March 2017.
Yesterday, Sgt Tom O’Brien said that he could not guarantee that the book of evidence would be ready in a fortnight.
He made an application that Satchwell be remanded in custody for a period of four weeks.
Five
Judge O’Shea noted that the defendant was first charged over five months ago.
He said it was indicated at a hearing last month that the book of evidence would be ready to be served on Mr Satchwell at the end of March. A date of March 26 was fixed for the next hearing.
Sgt O’Brien said that the investigating garda, Detective Garda David Kelleher, would be present in court on March 26 to apply for an extension if required.
Judge O’Shea warned that the case could be struck out if the book of evidence is not ready at the next court hearing.
Mr Satchwell appeared by video link at the short hearing.
He was cleanshaven and wearing a white top.
He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance in a fortnight.
The DPP last month directed that Mr Satchwell be tried on a single charge of murder at the Central Criminal Court.
He first appeared in court on October 14, 2023 in connection with the alleged offence.
Arrest
On that occasion evidence of arrest charge and caution was given by Det Gda David Kelleher.
Det Gda Kelleher said that Mr Satchwell had been formally charged with the murder of his wife in Cobh Garda
Station the previous day. Legal aid was granted in the case.
Mrs Satchwell, originally from St Bernard’s Place in Fermoy, Co Cork, was living in Youghal at the time of her death.
She was reported missing on March 24, 2017 by her husband Richard.
After she was reported missing, gardai followed 400 lines of inquiry, watched hundreds of hours of CCTV and took witness statements from 170 people. A major sea and land search was also carried out by gardai following her disappearance.
In March 2018 gardai then led a major search for Tina in Mitchel’s Wood in Castlemartyr, Co Cork.
Last March, on the sixth anniversary of Tina’s disappearance, gardai issued a renewed appeal for information in a bid to locate her.
Tina, who would have turned 50 in 2022, came from a family of eight and is survived by her siblings.
Vigils in her memory have been held in Youghal and Fermoy. A private family funeral has also taken place.