Brawl breaks out outside Irish court as mother is convicted of murdering her ex-husband after stabbing him 28 times

A brawl ensued outside a court in Cork today after a mother-of-two was found guilty of murdering her former husband. 

Rita O'Driscoll, 48, from Bandon in County Cork, was convicted of the murder of Timothy Foley, 44, after six hours and 17 minutes of deliberation by jurors at Central Criminal Court.

Mr Foley was found with 28 stab wounds to his head, thorax, abdomen, liver, lungs and right leg as well a cut to his carotid artery, at his brother's house in October 2018, a court heard. 

Today, following O'Driscoll's conviction, a brawl broke outside the Irish court between relatives of Mr Foley and O'Driscoll as police officers tried to break up the fight.

Rita O'Driscoll, 48, from Bandon in County Cork, was convicted of the murder of Timothy Foley, 44

Following O'Driscoll's conviction, a brawl broke outside the court between relatives as police officers tried to break up the fight

In court, the mother insisted she had acted in self-defence but Mr Foley's brother Jason, who was also taken to Cork University Hospital with his brother after suffering injuries from the scene, said he saw O'Driscoll standing over his brother with a 'blood knife'. 

The mother-of-two will now face a mandatory life sentence.

She was found not guilty on the charge of causing serious harm to Mr Foley's brother Jason. 

Prior to the night of the attack, prosecution counsel Siobhán Lankford SC told the jury that the defendant had been admitted to the psychiatric unit at Cork University Hospital. 

After she was discharged, O'Driscoll, who was described as 'coherent, calm and relaxed' by her psychiatrist, went to home of her former brother-in-law Jason Foley in Macroom. 

During the trial, Mr Foley's brother described how on the night of the attack O'Driscoll had arrived to his house with alcohol before a verbal altercation erupted between his brother and the mother-of-two. 

A group of people fight outside Central Criminal Court trial in County Cork following the murder trial 

A police officer tries to break up a brawl outside the court in Cork after O'Driscoll is found guilty of murder

A brawl involving relatives broke out following the two-week murder trial in Cork

Jason told the court he saw O'Driscoll standing over his brother with a 'bloody knife' and immediately alerted the Garda though his panic button which his house had been fitted with.

He told the court: 'I went to the toilet and I heard my brother roaring. Rita was standing over Timmy, pucking him in the stomach and his stomach was bleeding. He stood up and there was blood on his hand.

'She has a bloody knife (in her hand). It was full of blood. Her fist was full of blood.'

Ambulance crews and the Garda rushed to the scene after the alarm was raised at 1.40am and both Timothy Foley and Jason Foley were taken to Cork University Hospital.

O'Driscoll was also taken to hospital after she told them she too had been attacked and was treated for stab wounds on her left arm and a cut on her face.

Mr Foley's brother was treated for stab wounds to his neck and torso.   

Despite the efforts of paramedics, Mr Foley was pronounced dead at the scene.