BURY OBVIOUS

'In hindsight' it may seem clear that Tina's grave was under stairs... Harris pledges officers will learn from 2017 'missing person' inquiry

- BY PAUL HEALY Crime Correspondent

GARDA chief Drew Harris has said it may seem “very obvious in hindsight" that Tina Satchwell was buried under the stairs of her home.

The outgoing commissioner confirmed his officers will review how the investigation into her murder was handled.

It comes after wife-killer Richard Satchwell was sentenced to life in prison this week.

The Englishman was sent down following a five-week trial which heard how Tina's remains were found in a two-foot grave under the stairs - following a second search of the home in October 2023.

Speaking to reporters as 120 student officers were sworn in yesterday, Mr Harris said: “We want to learn as well from the course of the investigation and the decisions that were made and the conduct of the inquiries but also then the conduct of the physical search as well.”

Commissioner Harris said that the 2017 missing persons probe - which included a search of the Satchwell home in June of that year that missed the remains of Tina - did “harvest a huge amount of information.”

He added: “That information then was very useful in the subsequent re-examination in the incident room.

“The ability then to forensically analyse things around finances but also then communications - all of those were crucial.”

Commissioner Harris was asked if the 2017 investigation - which saw 10 officers search the house and a blood spatter analysis expert used - had failed.

He responded: “I would say it was hamstrung because of the lack of information in comparison to the later re-examination of this matter.

“There was far more information to hand which gave us real grounds for actual suspicion and enquiries.

“When you look at hindsight some of these things can seem very obvious.

“But in the moment, what was known, what was being said in terms of sightings, what was being said in terms of the victim by her husband, and one has to recognise the victimology that was being applied here.