A 46-year-old woman has been remanded in custody after she was charged with the murder of her husband in a stabbing incident in Macroom in Co Cork earlier this week.
Rita O'Driscoll with an address at Bridge Street, Bandon was charged with the murder of Timmy Foley (44) at a house at Dan Corkery Place in Macroom between October 7th and October 8th.
Today at Macroom District Court, Det Sgt Derek Mulcahy gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Ms O'Driscoll who appeared in court dressed in a black cardigan and blue jeans.
Det Sgt Mulcahy told the court that when he put the charge to Ms O’Driscoll after caution, she replied “I did not kill my husband - I stabbed him twice, not 28 times.”
Insp Brian Murphy applied for a remand in custody to Macroom District Court on October 17th, pointing out that the District Court had no jurisdiction on the issue of bail on a murder charge.
Defence solicitor, Pat Horan said his client would be pleading not guilty at the appropriate time and he also applied for free legal aid on behalf of his client to Judge Mary Dorgan.
Judge Dorgan granted Ms O'Driscoll free legal aid and remanded her in custody on the murder charge to Limerick Prison to appear again at Macroom District Court on October 17th.
Mr Horan said his client had asked him to inform the court that she had been subjected to years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse which the State was aware of for a number of years. The abuse had involved the use of weapons against her and some of these incidents had been witnessed by her children about whom she was deeply concerned, said Mr Horan.
Mr Horan asked that his client receive appropriate psychiatric and medical attention while on remand and Judge Dorgan granted the application and directed she receive all necessary support.
He said his client had also asked him to ask the court to ensure she received appropriate protection while on remand in Limerick Prison on the charge of murdering Mr Foley. She had also asked him to ask the court that similar measures be taken to protect her two adult children, aged 20 and 21, who were both vulnerable, and her extended family while she was in prison.
Insp Murphy thanked all parties for supporting the gardaí in their investigation to date and he urged them to continue with that support to ensure the case could be brought to a proper conclusion.
Judge Dorgan echoed Insp Murphy’s appeal and she urged all parties to remain calm and exercise caution to allow the law take its course in relation to the death of Mr Foley.
Earlier Mr Horan told the court that Ms O’Driscoll’s focus was on the welfare of her adult children, and she was upset to learn they had been locked out of their rented house when she was detained.
He said she discovered that when she was arrested, the landlord of her rented house had boarded up the property and locked her two adult children from the property and they were now homeless.
They still had belongings in the house and she was appealing to the Housing Department of Cork County Council to ensure they were properly housed as both were vulnerable people, he said.
