ABSOLUTELY FARCICAl

Prosection: Narrative has more holes than Swiss cheese | Defence: The suspect's lies do not make him a murderer

- ALISON O'RIORDAN

RICHARD Satchwell's narrative of how his wife died after he held her off by the belt of her bathrobe is "absolutely farcical" and has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese, a prosecution barrister has told a Central Criminal Court jury.

Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, yesterday gave her closing speech in the trial of Mr Satchwell, submitting that the British truck driver had woven "a web of deceit" and continued his "fabricated narrative" over the years when he engaged with the media and "anyone who would indulge him".

The Leicester native, counsel submitted, was "shamelessly brazen right up to the very end" until his wife's remains were discovered at the couple's home in Grattan Street, Youghal, Co Cork, over six years after Tina was reported missing.

Ms Small said Mr Satchwell's objective from the outset was "always to put everyone off the scent" and that this was done because he had murdered Tina.

Defence counsel Brendan Grehan told the jurors there was no doubt Mr Satchwell is guilty, but asked the jurors what exactly he was guilty of. He said that although Mr Satchwell had lied "to the people of Ireland", the lies do not make him a murderer or relieve the prosecution of the burden of proving the ingredients of murder.

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