Cork murder trial hears man said 'she have me goosed' when allegedly stabbed by ex-wife

Rita O’Driscoll of Bridge Street, Bandon, County Cork, denies the murder of Timmy Foley (aged 44) at 12 Dan Corkery Place, Macroom on October 8, 2018. Picture: John Delea

A witness in the trial of a 48-year-old Cork woman accused of murdering her ex-husband described her ‘pucking’ him in the stomach and the deceased saying, “she have me goosed". 

The accused denies murder in a case where the deceased sustained 28 stab wounds.

Rita O’Driscoll of Bridge Street, Bandon, County Cork, denies the murder of Timmy Foley (aged 44) at 12 Dan Corkery Place, Macroom on October 8, 2018. She also denies assault causing serious harm to the deceased man’s brother, Jason Foley.

Mr Foley testified that Timmy used to stay with him from time to time. On the night of October 7, 2018, Jason Foley said Rita O’Driscoll called and brought drink with her.

He said he was concerned about singing in his house because there was a frail old woman living next door.

“I said it to Timmy in front of Rita… Rita was talking loud. I don’t know what Rita was talking about. She raised her voice. I said, ‘Timmy, take care of that’. ‘Jas,’ he said, ‘No problem'. She was arguing with my brother. Rita was pucking Timmy in the stomach. I said, ‘Rita, who do you think you are?’. I didn’t see a knife.

“Rita was there pucking my brother in the stomach and in the side. He said, ‘Jason, I am goosed.’ 

Timmy started roaring. I seen blood coming from his stomach. I said I will get an ambulance.

He said he left the kitchen at one stage, went to the toilet and came back. “I saw Rita standing over Timmy pucking him into the stomach. Timmy’s stomach was bleeding.”

Siobhán Lankford SC for the prosecution asked: “Did you see what caused his stomach to be bleeding?” He replied, “Rita’s fist. He (Timmy) said, ‘She have me goosed. She have my stomach fucked up.’ He put his hands to his stomach. There was blood on his hands.” 

Ms Lankford asked: “Did you see anything in her hands?” He replied, “Yeah, a bloody knife. It was full of blood. The knife was full of blood. Her fist was full of blood. (Timmy said) ‘I am fucked, Jay, I am fucked. I said ‘Will I get an ambulance for you?’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘She have me goosed.’” 

He said he had an alarm button at his home in case he got a seizure because of a brain injury and he used that alarm to call an ambulance and the gardaí. 

He became upset in the room where he gave his evidence by video link to the courtroom and an intermediary, sworn in to assist him, said the witness required a short break.

“My brother saw Rita pucking me in the back,” he testified. 

She stabbed me in the back like a puck, same one she used on Timmy. She stabbed me in the back. 

He added he was stabbed once and felt weak.

Returning to what he witnessed earlier he said, “I did not see the knife. She was pucking Timmy for a good while. A sharp bloody knife I saw.” 

When he was calling the ambulance he claimed he saw Timmy trying to stand and get up off the floor and Rita in the corner “shouting about things – I don’t know what she was on about.” 

He said he had seen the knife a few days earlier in his kitchen when he and Timmy were making dinner. “Me and Timmy used it to cut the fat off the bacon,” he said.

The trial continues on Monday before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of seven women and five men.