A mother of two who stabbed her husband to death walked free from the Central Criminal Court yesterday. A jury found Mrs Caroline Comerford (37), of Tarahill Crescent, Rathfarnham, Dublin, not guilty of murdering her husband, Mr Peter Comerford (39), in their marital home at Carrickmount Drive, Rathfarn ham, on August 9th, 1998.
The jury reached its majority verdict after spending a total of just over four hours deliberating. They had been sent to a hotel last night after failing to reach a verdict.
There was applause in the court when the verdict was announced. After thanking the jury for its "care and attention over the last three days", Mr Justice O'Donovan excluded them from jury service for 10 years. Mr O'Donovan then told Mrs Comerford she was "free to go". Mrs Comerford broke down in tears.
Previously, Mr Kenneth Mills SC, prosecuting, had told the jury the stabbing happened after a drunken row between the couple, whose marriage had been "punctuated with numerous episodes of violence". Mr Comerford allegedly assaulted his wife, and she "went to the kitchen, chose a knife and went upstairs" where Mr Comerford resumed his attack, Mr Mills said.
Mrs Comerford then stabbed her husband twice in the legs and once in the back. She later put a duvet around him while he lay dying, the State said.
Mr Comerford had "a very heavy drinking problem and had been on drugs and had been on a methadone programme at the time of his death", the court heard.
The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, told the court that, after inspecting the body of the deceased, he was satisfied Mr Comerford had died from shock and haemorrhaging caused by a single stab wound to the main vein to the heart.
Dr Anthony Hooper told the court in his direct evidence that, after examining the accused woman while in custody, he was satisfied she had received injuries "consistent with the history she had given me".