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Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
MV Matthew crew 'terrified' amid chaos of cocaine trafficking operation, court hears
Crates of cocaine, loaded under cover of night from an armed boat by some crew members while others aboard the MV Matthew were plied with alcohol 'as a distraction' began a descent into chaos which would ultimately lead to their arrest. 'Terrified' and 'alone at sea', the crew said they were then compelled to comply with the major drug trafficking operation directed from Dubai that resulted in Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure off the Cork coast in September, 2023. Fear permeated the bulk cargo ship, the accused said, with some crew saying they were promised bonuses to 'keep their mouths shut' when they questioned the legality of the cargo. They were told it was 'spare parts' but many of the sailors admitted that they suspected it was illegal contraband — most likely drugs or weapons. Eight men have pleaded guilty to their involvement in a drug smuggling plot in which 2.25 tonnes of cocaine — the largest seizure in the history of the State — was found on the Panamanian registered MV Matthew, a 190-metre-long, 32-metre-wide bulk cargo ship off the Cork coast. All arrested aboard the MV Matthew said they flew to Dubai for interviews before flying on to South America to begin their job. All bar one — Cumali Ozgen — had significant experience at sea and many had multiple maritime qualifications. In mitigation, the men were described as people in difficult circumstances who provided diligently for their families, some of whom suffered ill health. But they were 'expendable' and the 'bottom of the food chain' for the organised crime group running the drug trafficking operation, the Special Criminal Court heard in mitigation. Those directing the operations from Dubai remained thousands of miles away from the ship and 'kept their hands clean'. Military personnel secured the MV Matthew and escorted it into Cork Harbour in September, 2023, after the suspected drugs were found on board in what turned out to be Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure. File picture: PA Although Mr Ozgen may have been the 'eyes and ears' of those directing the operation from Dubai, there was no suggestion he had an organising role, defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC said. Mr Ozgen had accepted that he loaded three crates with drugs on the MV Matthew and was involved in moving the drugs by hand. He also admitted playing a part in helping to burn the drugs, getting paint thinner to try to intensify the flames, after the ship was stormed by elite army rangers in September 2023, bringing the criminal operation to a sudden and dramatic end. He admitted that he believed he would get a bonus of some 50,000 to 100,000 — euros or dollars. He had a prestigious cabin on the boat, although initially claimed he was a 'cleaner' which 'didn't make sense,' Mr Grehan said. Unlike anyone else on the boat, he had no seafaring experience, although he was described as an 'ordinary seaman'. His role to some extent was tending to the cargo aboard — the drugs, Mr Grehan said. He had no previous convictions and appears to have worked in a series of menial jobs in the past. 'I think it's well established that we're in a hierarchy for those involved in this kind of drug smuggling operation,' Mr Grehan said. He added: The owners or stakeholders keep their hands clean and very far away from any possible exposure. And the people on board were being directed by a company in Dubai and people offboard throughout the operation, he said. These voices from off the boat directed the crew not to comply with directions from the Irish naval ship, despite warning shots being fired. They also directed them to burn the drugs and get rid of all phones, he said. One 'caring' message told the crew that the organisers were not interested in 'one dollar out of this' and they did not want anyone going to jail, telling them to 'head to Sierra Leone'. 'Perhaps it is not surprising that people felt obliged to comply with the wishes of people in that organisation,' he said, given the power of the organised crime gang that appeared to be involved. 'Mr Cumali Ozgen asked me to apologise to the people of the court and to the people of Ireland. 'He got involved in a misguided attempt to get money to assist his family, particularly his son [who suffered a brain tumour and required surgery]. He regrets every day how stupid he was to get involved in this matter. He wanted to make money but finds himself getting no money, no financial reward and facing a lengthy custodial sentence. Harold Estoesta was a recently qualified 2nd Officer. He was assigned a communication role on the boat, perhaps because of his strong command of English, his barrister Michael Hourigan SC said. He was not happy about this but had to take orders, he said. He said he was told the boat had to take on a cargo of spare parts. Fears about possible contraband He was directed to assist on the night the cargo was brought aboard, but some of the other crew were to be given as much alcohol as possible. When he saw armed men on the boat unloading the cargo he became extremely concerned that they were loading contraband — drugs or weapons. But he was then 'terrified' and 'alone at sea' so felt he must comply. He was told that everyone would get bonuses, when he raised concerns that the cargo was not spare parts. 'Ships can be very dangerous places and countless sailors go missing every year,' his barrister, Mr Hourigan said. 'He made certain choices but I ask you to contextualise, fear was present on his part. 'Essentially, he was threatened on the boat,' he said. Mr Estoesta was of good character with no previous convictions. At 31, he was accomplished, having been a government scholar in the Philippines. The captain, Iranians Soheil Jelveh, 51, was highly qualified and had no previous links to organsied crime, barrister Keivon Sotoodeh said. His wife has cancer and his daughter, 22, is studying in Istanbul. His son is 20. He has been the family's sole breadwinner, he said. Two Ukrainians who had escaped to Romania after Russia invaded their country, were also arrested from the MV Matthew. Vitaliy Vlasoi, who turned 33 on Tuesday, was brought up by his mother, a kindergarten teacher, and studied at the maritime college in Odessa before beginning his professional life as a sailor. Seafaring was in his blood, the court heard, with multiple generations of his family working on boats. He married in 2019 and has a five-year-old daughter. His young family and his mother moved to Ireland since his arrest. His wife works 50 hours a week in a shop to support the family, travelling 1.5 hours by bus to get there. Not being there for his family weighs heavily on his mind, the court heard. His mother cried in court as she watched her son in the accused's box. Mykhailo Gavryk, 32, also from Odessa who fled to Romania when Russia invaded Ukraine, had been of good character, described as proactive, hard-working, creative and a good leader in references supplied to the court by educational institutions. He was the only man and the only breadwinner in his family, his barrister, Paul O'Higgins said. He has donated money to the Ukrainian army and a letter of thanks for this was supplied to the court. He handed over the pin to his phone to gardaí and used his own name on messaging apps on the boat. His knowledge and responsibility for the operation was 'at the bottom of the pile', and the least of all those aboard the MV Matthew, Mr O'Higgins said. The MV Matthew being escorted into Cork Harbour in September, 2023, after the suspected drugs were found on board in what turned out to be Ireland's largest ever cocaine seizure. File picture: PA Saied Hassani, 40, has a wife and six-year-old daughter in Iran, the Special Criminal Court heard. He has worked at sea almost consistently since graduating from maritime college, which he started in 2005. He has been away so much for work that he missed all of his daughter's birthdays. He has two sisters who need medical care — one is in a wheelchair and one has cancer — and he has worked to provide for his wider family since his father died. 'There is nothing in his records to suggest he has done anything like this before,' his barrister Mark Lynam SC said. He even thanked the criminals in Dubai 'for this opportunity' when he got the job, thinking it would help his family, Mr Lynam said. He had the lowest responsibility for the operation of all the officers on board, Mr Lynam said. Although he was found with €20,000 cash when the MV Matthew was seized, this was given to him by the captain before he was airlifted off the boat, he said. He had succumbed to the temptation not out of greed or for better lifestyle — but to support family, some of whom are sick, Mr Lynam said. Detective Sergeant Keith Halley, who led the historic drug bust, said that the operation was directed from Dubai but also had Iranian involvement. A transnational organised crime group with "immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach," directed the MV Matthew drug smuggling operation from a cell in Dubai before it was stormed off the Cork coast. A cell structure within the organised crime group which manned the operation was evident, so if one cell was compromised, the overall damage would be limited, Det Supt Halley told the Special Criminal Court at the men's sentencing hearing on Tuesday. The MV Matthew, owned by a Dubai-based company, repeatedly tried to evade the Irish navy before it was boarded by Ireland's elite army ranger wing via helicopter in rough seas in September 2023 off the Cork coast. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, 51, and Saeid Hassani, 39; Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Mathew between 24 and 26 September 2023. Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, and Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between 21 and 25 September 2023. Justice Melanie Grealy has set sentencing for all eight men on July 4.
Irish Examiner
03-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'This will all be over soon', crime bosses told men before 2.5 tonne cocaine seizure, court hears
'No need for luck... just relax and this will all be over soon," was a message sent from a suspected crime boss to the men now charged with the State's largest cocaine haul, in the hours before the ship in which they were sailing was stormed. The MV Matthew, owned by a Dubai-based company, was raided at gunpoint by Ireland's elite army ranger wing in September 2023, off the Cork coast. The transnational organised crime group which manned the operation showed "immense" capability, with significant resources and global reach, Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told a sentencing hearing for eight men charged in connection with the seizure at the Special Criminal Court. A cell structure within the group was also evident, so if one cell was compromised, the damage to the organised crime group would be limited, he said. One of these cells was in Dubai Det Spt Halley said, adding that the investigation is "very much ongoing" regarding the cell structure in the criminal organisation. There was also "a major Iranian nexus in this operation," he told the Special Criminal Court. Eight men were charged after 2.25 tonnes of cocaine was seized from the Panamanian registered MV Matthew, a 190-metre-long, 32-metre-wide bulk cargo ship. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, aged 32, Vitaliy Vlasoi, aged 32, and Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, aged 51, and Saeid Hassani, aged 39; Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 50, Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, and UK national Jamie Harbron, aged 31, have pleaded guilty to some charges and are being sentenced in the Special Criminal Court this week. Defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC said it appeared that those controlling the operation were directing it from thousands of miles away in Dubai. Those people acted like "a coach giving a pep talk" telling the people on board to keep going, no matter what, Mr Grehan said. And in terms of criminal enterprises, the owners tended to be at the top of the pyramid, usually a number of places removed from the people carrying out the operations, Mr Grehan said. He is representing Cumali Ozgen, who despite being of the lowest rank on the ship had the most important cabin, and was the only person other than the captain to have unlimited access to wifi. The court heard that his main task seemed to be communicating with Dubai. Mr Ozgen's son had suffered a serious brain injury and he was trying to provide care for him, Mr Grehan said. The Captain, Soheil Jelveh, an Iranian, was in fear for his life and the lives of his family, he told gardaí. The group who commissioned the job on the MV Matthew had helped him bring his family to Dubai and knew where they were, he said. He said he was lured to Dubai by the promise of a better education for his son and a better life for his family. His wife has terminal cancer, his barrister, Michael Bowman, SC, told the court. He had largely retired from being a captain to focus on coaching soccer, through which he met the contacts in Dubai, he said. He had been promised help establishing a football foundation and a new life for his family in the Emirate state. But now, after his arrest, he feared his family would be killed in Dubai. He said in interviews: I don't know if they're alive or not. If I tell you they will kill my family. "They will kill me outside." He had been captain of the MV Matthew in name but followed orders like everyone else, Mr Bowman said. And these very clear orders were being given offshore, by one person in Dubai at least, he said. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk and Vitaliy Vlasoi had fled the war in Odessa and were living in Romania when they were lured to work aboard the MV Matthew, the court heard. They said they were told that the cargo loaded onto the boat was spare parts, but when Mr Gavryk said he became suspicious that this was not the case, he was told he would be paid more money if he "kept his mouth shut." All crew aboard the MV Matthew told gardaí following their arrest that they had flown to Dubai for interviews before travelling on to Curacao to board the vessel. The operation which intercepted the drug operation involved a joint taskforce between gardaí, Revenue, and the defence forces. Communications on encrypted messaging apps Signal and Whatsapp revealed the conversations between the crew on board the MV Matthew as the weather worsened and Irish authorities closed in. Photos of giant white bags being lifted by crane on the boat were shown in the Special Criminal Court at the accused's' sentencing hearing today. Flanked by interpreters, the men looked tense as they waited for the thre- judge Special Criminal Court of Judge Melanie Grealy, Judge Sarah Berkeley, and Judge Grainne Malone, to decide their fate. Military personnel onboard the MV Matthew after a joint sting operation led to the largest cocaine haul in the State. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Det Supt Halley was Senior Investigating Officer for the case and was a detective inspector with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau at the time. He was also involved with MAOC-N, the multi jurisdiction organisation which monitors maritime traffic to dismantle drug trafficking networks. Prior to the boat being intercepted, authorities had been tracking its course. MAOC-N provided intelligence reports containing suspicions about the MV Matthew while gardaí were also corroborating that intelligence with their own reports that the MV Matthew may be involved in drug trafficking, Det Supt Halley said. Authorities tracked how the actual course and the stated course of the MV Matthew had diverged, since it left the waters off Venezuela, through technology called the AIS – Automatic Identification System. While the MV Matthew was tracking across the Atlantic towards Ireland, Gardaí monitored people in this jurisdiction. Gardaí had monitored Mr Lapa and Mr Harbron in Ireland in the weeks before the smuggling operation, travelling to Castletownbere to buy the fishing trawler the Castlemore and sailing it up the coast. This boat was to be the 'daughter' ship to the MV Matthew's 'mother ship' and was arranging to collect the cocaine consignment from the larger vessel off the Irish coast before it ran aground off Wexford, scuppering the operation, the court has heard. Gardaí also monitored these men communicating with other persons of interest in Ireland, including someone from Dubai, gathering CCTV of communications in petrol stations, at a McDonald's and hotels. Two people Mr Lapa and Mr Harbron were communicating with are still subject to garda investigation. A reason the Castlemore fishing trawler was chosen for the operation was because a Starlink satellite internet service was installed which would allow online communications between people on the boat and off the boat through messaging apps Signal and Whatsapp. The contents of these messaging apps would prove central to the State's case. Messages at the beginning showed the operation appearing to go well. But as the weather worsened, communications between the group became increasingly tense and frayed, with the MV Matthew captain, Soheil Jelveh, threatening to leave. An individual named 'Padre' in messages who was directing operations from off the boat instructed the crew to 'slow down mate' and wait for the 'ETA of big boat'. Messages spoke about 'lowering the food' onto the boat. Positions were shared and multiple attempts were made for the 'mother ship' and 'daughter ship' to meet. 'There will be four jumbo bags, it will be a lot but just go like fuck mate to truck away,' one message from Padre said. Another message said the 'parcel' would comprise of "six big jumbo bags tied together […] total weight 2.2T.' Sentence hearings for the eight men will continue tomorrow. Read More Men behind largest seizure of cocaine in Irish history to be sentenced in June
Irish Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bohemians confirm return of loan star as they soar to joint second in the table
Alan Reynolds has confirmed that Cian Byrne will return to Bohemians in July and help fill the void left by Sean Grehan's imminent departure. Grehan, who left Bohs for Crystal Palace in 2023 but returned on loan this season, is going back to his parent club for the start of July. The centre-back impressed again in last night's 1-0 win over Derry City at Dalymount Park and said his goodbyes to fans as he left the pitch in his final home game. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Grehan, 21, will be available for the away matches against Cork City and Waterford when the league resumes on June 13, after the summer break. But then he will be returning to England, with Reynolds set to recall Byrne from his own loan spell at Galway United to help fill the void. The highly rated Leigh Kavanagh, who has been injured, will also be a centre-back option for the Gypspies and so will experienced Englishman Alex Lacey once he is fit. Reynolds said: 'Cian will keep playing for Galway but is back in July. He's been really good for them. We've obviously kept in touch and watched some of his games and I think the loan has been perfect for him. I'm not sure he wanted to go but we felt he needed to play.' Bohs maintained their impressive form to move joint second in the table on the back of the Candystripes win, with Dayle Rooney slotting home a second-minute penalty. It was awarded for a Mark Connolly handball after only 20 seconds and Reynolds said: 'Some say you give it, some say you don't, but look, we'll take it. There were a good few decisions that were tight but the performance, I thought we dominated a lot of it. 'What I'd like us to be is more clinical and put the game to bed earlier. But what I really like is the energy and commitment. Get that side of it right and the crowd will feed off it. That's the way we want to go about it, give them something to get behind us and next thing the place will take off.' The win was Bohemians' fifth in their last six home games and Dalymount Park is a happy hunting ground again for a team that struggled to win in front of their own fans not so long ago. Reynolds said: 'We've had a tough year here and we've finally settled down to a way of playing. Confidence is important and I think the players are getting that. 'It's great to see Rhys Brennan coming on there, a 19-year-old who can't believe his luck that he's playing. Derry are bringing on Gavin Whyte, a different end of it. But we have young players who are hungry to do well for the club.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
Sunday World
30-05-2025
- Sunday World
How Richard Satchwell's defence made last ditch attempt to get jury discharged
REVEALED | He was found guilty by a jury of murdering his wife Tina and burying her under the stairs where she lay for six and a half years. Richard Satchwell (centre) leaving the District Court in Cashel, Co Tipperary, after being charged in connection with the murder of Tina Satchwell (Brian Lawless/PA) The move was resisted by the State, who pointed out that much of the publicity was generated by Satchwell himself. In November last year Brendan Grehan SC, for Satchwell, said that as the media attention was concentrated in Cork, it would be "impossible to retain an impartial jury" there who had not heard of the case and formed "adverse views of Mr Satchwell". Mr Grehan said that most trials can be held in local venues but some generate media attention that can be "macabre" and lead to "greater hostility than it is possible to imagine in an ordinary case." Satchwell's preference, Mr Grehan said, was for the trial to be held in Limerick so it would be closer to the prison where he was being held. "He has a position of responsibility there, which enables him to be a productive prisoner," counsel told the court. Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed the change of venue, arguing that publicity around the case was national, not local. Also, she said, much of that publicity was generated by Satchwell who "sought the attention of the media" by appearing on radio and television shows. Richard Satchwell (centre) leaving the District Court in Cashel, Co Tipperary, after being charged in connection with the murder of Tina Satchwell (Brian Lawless/PA) News in 90 Seconds - May 30th Ms Small pointed to Satchwell's appearances on RTE's 'Prime Time', TV3's 'Ireland AM', the Ray D'Arcy Show and the numerous interviews he gave to journalists. She added: "It is an unusual factor that it [the media attention] can be attributed to the accused man while he was aware the body of his wife was buried where it was." Mr Justice Paul McDermott agreed to change the venue to Dublin, due to the significant risk of an unfair trial. He said: "The high degree of local coverage and engagement with the case takes it out of the ordinary". "SOMEWHAT OF A SIDE SHOW: TWEETS AND CHARGINGS" During the trial and in the absence of the jury, Mr Grehan applied to exclude Satchwell's "cryptic" reply of "Guilty or not guilty, guilty" when he was formally charged with the murder of Tina on October 13, 2023. Counsel said a second part of the application - which was "somewhat of a side show" - was connected to the fact that a member of the press - Paul Byrne, formerly of Virgin Media News - tweeted that Satchwell was going to be charged before gardai had actually done so. He said Superintendent Anne Marie Twomey had received directions from a legal officer at 7.28pm to charge Satchwell with the murder of his wife and he was formally charged at 8:07pm on October 13. Mr Grehan said Mr Byrne had tweeted at 8.03pm that "a man in his 50's had been charged with the murder of Tina Satchwell" - four minutes before his client was formally charged. Counsel said Michael O'Toole, of The Irish Daily Mirror and Irish Daily Star, had "retweeted" at 8.09pm from the handle @mickthehack that "Richard Satchwell had been charged with the murder of his wife". A number of gardai who were called to give evidence in the voir dire denied that they had contacted anyone in the media but accepted that Mr Byrne had tweeted about it several minutes in advance and that Mr O'Toole had named Satchwell as being charged two minutes after it occurred. Mr Grehan said it was "implicit" that contact was made with a number of people in the media "to enable them to do their job". Counsel also submitted that Satchwell should have been informed that he could consult with his solicitor before the charging process took place and was entitled to legal advice "at this critical juncture". "It vitiated the process and the court should not permit the fruits of the charging to be now available to the prosecution," he added. He said the defendant's solicitor Eddie Burke had left the garda station at 7.07pm that evening and didn't arrive back until 8.10pm - three minutes after the charging took place. Read more The lawyer said his client's reply after caution was more prejudicial than probative and would create difficulties in terms of how the jury could be properly directed. In reply, Ms Small said Satchwell, who was interviewed by gardai on ten separate occasions, had a "full appreciation of his entitlement not to say anything" in reply to the caution and was acutely aware of this. The defence, she said, was claiming there is an entitlement to have a solicitor present on charging and she wasn't aware of any such entitlement. She said the entitlement was to legal advice, which Satchwell had received "in abundance". She called the media tweets "completely irrelevant". In his ruling, Mr Justice McDermott said the defendant's reply was fully voluntary and found that the absence of a solicitor in the garda station had not impaired the fairness of the process. He refused to exclude the reply to charge. DIRECTION TO REMOVE MURDER CHARGE FROM INDICTMENT When the prosecution's case was at an end, Mr Grehan applied to the judge to withdraw the charge of murder against his client, submitting there was no evidence of an intention to kill or cause serious injury, which he said was "a huge lacuna" in the State's case. "It is one of the elements of the offence of murder which the prosecution have to adduce evidence of, which they have singularly failed to do," he argued. He said Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster couldn't give a cause of death due to a very long post mortem period and had confirmed there were no broken bones in Tina's body. He said she wasn't able to conclude anything about the state of the organs due to the lapse of time. Mr Grehan said there was an explanation available to the jury as to how death was caused in the case without the evidence of the pathologist or anthropologist and that explanation was given by his client, where Satchwell said the belt of Tina's bathrobe had been held up against her neck until she collapsed. Counsel said this was the only account available as to what happened to Tina and was of "immense importance" as there was no evidence of violence discovered in the post mortem. Counsel said it was significant that Tina's hyoid bone was un-fractured. He said there was also no medical evidence to say that his client's account of holding Tina off with a restraint against her neck before she collapsed suddenly was not possible. In reply, Ms Small submitted that there was "a wealth of evidence" from the surrounding circumstances in the case from which intent could be inferred. Counsel said the deception began on March 20, 2017 very shortly after Satchwell killed Tina and the plethora of lies were an acknowledgement of guilt. Ms Small said a limited post mortem examination was conducted because the defendant had buried his wife in a manner to ensure the cause of death wasn't available. She added: "There is also motive on his own account, Satchwell says she is threatening to leave him. She has wasted 28 years of her life, that is all part of the evidence for the jury to accept or not". Mr Grehan said the lies told were not sufficient to show intent for murder. Referring to motive, he said there was also clearly a basis for which Tina might have wanted nothing further to do with her husband and attacked him in that manner. In his ruling, Mr Justice McDermott said Satchwell's immediate response was to create a false impression that Tina was alive and he had taken every conceivable step to protect himself. He said Satchwell told lie after lie "to any journalist who'd indulge him" and portrayed a scenario that his wife had deserted him suddenly without any explanation. Mr Justice McDermott said Satchwell had shown a degree of malevolence towards his wife and the defendant was totally focused on protecting himself from discovery. There had been, he said, a period of six prolonged years before Tina's body, of which Satchwell had disposed of, was found and this was relevant to the issue of intention. He said it was a matter for the jury as to whether Satchwell had formed the requisite intent and whether he was guilty of his wife's murder. He rejected the application to withdraw the murder charge. APPLICATION TO DISCHARGE THE JURY At the very end of the trial, when Mr Justice McDermott had finished charging the jurors, Mr Grehan said on foot of instructions from his client he "regrettably" had to seek the discharge of the jury Counsel voiced his opposition to the tone of the charge, which he said was intended to "nudge" the jurors towards a guilty verdict. Counsel said he became increasingly concerned as the charge proceeded that it was not resembling a charge but a "second prosecution speech" in terms of the emphasis the court was placing on the State's case to the detriment of the defence. Mr Grehan told the judge he had not put the defence case in full at all to the jury. He said the two separate tasks of directions on the law and a summary of the evidence had become "intermingled" and submitted there was no balance in what had been said to the panel. "The whole emphasis of what was said to the court seemed to be to reiterate the prosecution case," he argued. Mr Grehan said the facts of the case "shouted and screamed for themselves" in terms of what Satchwell did and didn't do. "They are not facts that need to be nudged or pushed for the jury in any particular way". Counsel said it was beyond remedy at this stage and the court should discharge the jury. Ms Small called Mr Grehan's application "wholly inappropriate", describing the charge as balanced, fair and extremely comprehensible. "The criticism is unfounded, a court will rarely outline all the evidence, that is a matter for the jury". In his ruling, the judge said this was a difficult case in which to sum up the evidence for the jury and he didn't accept that his charge was "so wildly unbalanced". He disagreed that the absence of references to certain parts of the evidence in any sense justified the jury being discharged. Mr Justice McDermott refused the application but did give the jury further directions in relation to two matters of which complaints were made, one relating to the detailed evidence of Lorraine Howard concerning her half sister Tina, the other to evidence that Satchwell loved or was "besotted" with his wife.
Irish Examiner
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Satchwell guilty of murder: Here's what the jury didn't hear
TRIAL MOVED TO DUBLIN Richard Satchwell's trial was initially scheduled to sit in his home county of Cork but, due to the "intense publicity" surrounding the case, his lawyers applied late last year to move the trial to the capital. The move was resisted by the State, who pointed out that much of the publicity was generated by Satchwell himself. In November last year Brendan Grehan SC, for Satchwell, said that as the media attention was concentrated in Cork, it would be "impossible to retain an impartial jury" there who had not heard of the case and formed "adverse views of Mr Satchwell". Mr Grehan said that most trials can be held in local venues but some generate media attention that can be "macabre" and lead to "greater hostility than it is possible to imagine in an ordinary case." Satchwell's preference, Mr Grehan said, was for the trial to be held in Limerick so it would be closer to the prison where he was being held. "He has a position of responsibility there, which enables him to be a productive prisoner," counsel told the court. Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed the change of venue, arguing that publicity around the case was national, not local. File picture: Collins Courts Gerardine Small SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed the change of venue, arguing that publicity around the case was national, not local. Also, she said, much of that publicity was generated by Satchwell who "sought the attention of the media" by appearing on radio and television shows. Ms Small pointed to Satchwell's appearances on RTÉ's Prime Time, TV3's Ireland AM, the Ray D'Arcy Show and the numerous interviews he gave to journalists. She added: "It is an unusual factor that it [the media attention] can be attributed to the accused man while he was aware the body of his wife was buried where it was." Mr Justice Paul McDermott agreed to change the venue to Dublin, due to the significant risk of an unfair trial. He said: "The high degree of local coverage and engagement with the case takes it out of the ordinary." 'SOMEWHAT OF A SIDE SHOW: TWEETS AND CHARGINGS' During the trial and in the absence of the jury, Mr Grehan applied to exclude Satchwell's "cryptic" reply of "Guilty or not guilty, guilty" when he was formally charged with the murder of Tina on October 13, 2023. Counsel said a second part of the application - which was "somewhat of a side show" - was connected to the fact that a member of the press - Paul Byrne, formerly of Virgin Media News - tweeted that Satchwell was going to be charged before gardaí had actually done so. He said Superintendent Anne Marie Twomey had received directions from a legal officer at 7.28pm to charge Satchwell with the murder of his wife and he was formally charged at 8:07pm on October 13. Mr Grehan said Mr Byrne had tweeted at 8.03pm that "a man in his 50's had been charged with the murder of Tina Satchwell" - four minutes before his client was formally charged. Counsel said Michael O'Toole, of The Irish Daily Mirror and Irish Daily Star, had "retweeted" at 8.09pm from the handle @mickthehack that "Richard Satchwell had been charged with the murder of his wife". A number of gardaí who were called to give evidence in the voir dire denied that they had contacted anyone in the media but accepted that Mr Byrne had tweeted about it several minutes in advance and that Mr O'Toole had named Satchwell as being charged two minutes after it occurred. Mr Grehan said it was "implicit" that contact was made with a number of people in the media "to enable them to do their job". Counsel also submitted that Satchwell should have been informed that he could consult with his solicitor before the charging process took place and was entitled to legal advice "at this critical juncture". "It vitiated the process and the court should not permit the fruits of the charging to be now available to the prosecution," he added. Richard Satchwell's Senior council Brendan Grehan (left) and solicitor Eddie Burke. During the trial and in the absence of the jury, Mr Grehan applied to exclude Satchwell's 'cryptic' reply of 'Guilty or not guilty, guilty' when he was formally charged with the murder of Tina on October 13, 2023. Photo: Niall Carson/PA He said the defendant's solicitor Eddie Burke had left the garda station at 7.07pm that evening and didn't arrive back until 8.10pm - three minutes after the charging took place. The lawyer said his client's reply after caution was more prejudicial than probative and would create difficulties in terms of how the jury could be properly directed. In reply, Ms Small said Satchwell, who was interviewed by gardaí on 10 separate occasions, had a "full appreciation of his entitlement not to say anything" in reply to the caution and was acutely aware of this. The defence, she said, was claiming there is an entitlement to have a solicitor present on charging and she wasn't aware of any such entitlement. She said the entitlement was to legal advice, which Satchwell had received "in abundance". She called the media tweets "completely irrelevant". In his ruling, Mr Justice McDermott said the defendant's reply was fully voluntary and found that the absence of a solicitor in the garda station had not impaired the fairness of the process. He refused to exclude the reply to charge. DIRECTION TO REMOVE MURDER CHARGE FROM INDICTMENT When the prosecution's case was at an end, Mr Grehan applied to the judge to withdraw the charge of murder against his client, submitting there was no evidence of an intention to kill or cause serious injury, which he said was "a huge lacuna" in the State's case. "It is one of the elements of the offence of murder which the prosecution have to adduce evidence of, which they have singularly failed to do," he argued. He said Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster couldn't give a cause of death due to a very long post mortem period and had confirmed there were no broken bones in Tina's body. He said she wasn't able to conclude anything about the state of the organs due to the lapse of time. Mr Grehan said there was an explanation available to the jury as to how death was caused in the case without the evidence of the pathologist or anthropologist and that explanation was given by his client, where Satchwell said the belt of Tina's bathrobe had been held up against her neck until she collapsed. Counsel said this was the only account available as to what happened to Tina and was of "immense importance" as there was no evidence of violence discovered in the post mortem. Counsel said it was significant that Tina's hyoid bone was unfractured. He said there was also no medical evidence to say that his client's account of holding Tina off with a restraint against her neck before she collapsed suddenly was not possible. In a ruling, Mr Justice McDermott said Richard Satchwell's (pictured) immediate response was to create a false impression that Tina was alive and he had taken every conceivable step to protect himself. File photo: Brian Lawless/PA In reply, Ms Small submitted that there was "a wealth of evidence" from the surrounding circumstances in the case from which intent could be inferred. Counsel said the deception began on March 20, 2017, very shortly after Satchwell killed Tina and the plethora of lies were an acknowledgement of guilt. Ms Small said a limited post mortem examination was conducted because the defendant had buried his wife in a manner to ensure the cause of death wasn't available. She added: "There is also motive on his own account, Satchwell says she is threatening to leave him. She has wasted 28 years of her life, that is all part of the evidence for the jury to accept or not." Mr Grehan said the lies told were not sufficient to show intent for murder. Referring to motive, he said there was also clearly a basis for which Tina might have wanted nothing further to do with her husband and attacked him in that manner. In his ruling, Mr Justice McDermott said Satchwell's immediate response was to create a false impression that Tina was alive and he had taken every conceivable step to protect himself. He said Satchwell told lie after lie "to any journalist who'd indulge him" and portrayed a scenario that his wife had deserted him suddenly without any explanation. Mr Justice McDermott said Satchwell had shown a degree of malevolence towards his wife and the defendant was totally focused on protecting himself from discovery. There had been, he said, a period of six prolonged years before Tina's body, of which Satchwell had disposed of, was found and this was relevant to the issue of intention. He said it was a matter for the jury as to whether Satchwell had formed the requisite intent and whether he was guilty of his wife's murder. He rejected the application to withdraw the murder charge. APPLICATION TO DISCHARGE THE JURY At the very end of the trial, when Mr Justice McDermott had finished charging the jurors, Mr Grehan said on foot of instructions from his client he "regrettably" had to seek the discharge of the jury. Counsel voiced his opposition to the tone of the charge, which he said was intended to "nudge" the jurors towards a guilty verdict. Counsel said he became increasingly concerned as the charge proceeded that it was not resembling a charge but a "second prosecution speech" in terms of the emphasis the court was placing on the State's case to the detriment of the defence. Mr Grehan told the judge he had not put the defence case in full at all to the jury. He said the two separate tasks of directions on the law and a summary of the evidence had become "intermingled" and submitted there was no balance in what had been said to the panel. "The whole emphasis of what was said to the court seemed to be to reiterate the prosecution case," he argued. Richard Satchwell's Senior council Brendan Grehan (left) and solicitor Eddie Burke. Mr Grehan had sought the discharge of the jury on foot of instructions from his client. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Mr Grehan said the facts of the case "shouted and screamed for themselves" in terms of what Satchwell did and didn't do. "They are not facts that need to be nudged or pushed for the jury in any particular way". Counsel said it was beyond remedy at this stage and the court should discharge the jury. Ms Small called Mr Grehan's application "wholly inappropriate", describing the charge as balanced, fair and extremely comprehensible. "The criticism is unfounded, a court will rarely outline all the evidence, that is a matter for the jury". In his ruling, the judge said this was a difficult case in which to sum up the evidence for the jury and he didn't accept that his charge was "so wildly unbalanced". He disagreed that the absence of references to certain parts of the evidence in any sense justified the jury being discharged. Mr Justice McDermott refused the application but did give the jury further directions in relation to two matters of which complaints were made, one relating to the detailed evidence of Lorraine Howard concerning her half sister Tina, the other to evidence that Satchwell loved or was "besotted" with his wife. Read More How a concrete patch under the stairs in Youghal revealed Tina Satchwell's tragic fate
