No signs that missing Tina travelled to UK, say police

UK POLICE have found no trace of missing Tina Satchwell at any location she previously resided at in the country, or on CCTV security camera footage from any port or airport.

The revelation came as Ms Satchwell’s husband, Richard, again repeated the belief that his missing wife could have travelled to the UK and be living there.

Mr Satchwell, an English-born truck driver, said Ms Satchwell’s best friend is now convinced his wife is living in the UK – and may have had help with her disappearance.

Ms Satchwell, who did not have a passport, previously lived in the UK and has acquaintances there. Mr Satchwell also said his wife had been trying to memorise UK social security data in the months before her disappearance.

He has repeatedly insisted his wife is not dead – and rejected suggestions she may have harmed herself, saying: “She loved herself too much.”

His comments came as gardaí entered the ninth day of a search of woodland outside Castlemartyr, in east Cork, for Ms Satchwell, who vanished on March 20, 2017.

More than 60 personnel, including Defence Forces engineering units, UK Search Dogs and Garda Sub-Aqua teams, are examining a stretch of Mitchel’s Wood for any clue as to what happened to Ms Satchwell. The search is expected to continue into next week.

Ms Satchwell vanished from her home in Youghal, Co Cork, while her husband said he was on a brief errand to Dungarvan, Co Waterford. He has vehemently insisted he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance.

Mr Satchwell (pictured) said he believed his wife might have had help in staging her disappearance – but he denied there was any question of her having an affair.

He met his future wife when she moved to live in England as a teenager. He said he fell in love at first sight – and he decided to move to Ireland to be with her, to the consternation of his own family.

“Basically, my family are anti-Irish – I never spoke to my mother again before she died,” he said.

“I was given an ultimatum when I met Tina. I chose Tina. When I was brought up in school, all we heard about Ireland was the IRA.

“My mother missed out on knowing an amazing woman.”

Mr Satchwell again insisted he is hoping and praying his wife is found safe and well. Garda sources have said they have absolutely nothing to indicate Ms Satchwell may have travelled to the UK.

CCTV footage from all Irish ports and airports was checked and no one matching Ms Satchwell’s description was found. UK police have also checked for any trace of Ms Satchwell in areas previously known to her in England. All such reviews have yielded nothing.

“There is nothing so far to indicate what happened to Tina or where she went. There is certainly absolutely nothing to indicate she travelled to the UK,” a Garda source said.