Sophie Toscan du Plantier death: Briton convicted of killing movie producer's wife
Ian Bailey is convicted in his absence of killing 39-year-old Sophie Toscan du Plantier, as Ireland refuses to extradite him.
Friday 31 May 2019 22:25, UK
A former journalist has been convicted in his absence of killing a French film producer's wife in Ireland more than 20 years ago.
Manchester-born Ian Bailey, who moved to west Cork in the mid-1990s, is alleged to have killed 39-year-old Sophie Toscan du Plantier, wife of celebrated movie-maker Daniel Toscan du Plantier.
His films included the 1989 hit The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.
A trial at the Cour d'Assises in Paris lasted just three days, after the Irish authorities twice refused to extradite him.
Presiding judge Frederique Aline, who said there was "significant evidence" of Bailey's guilt, sentenced him to 25 years in jail and ordered that a new EU arrest warrant be issued.
Ms Toscan du Plantier's battered body was found on an isolated hillside in Toormore, near Schull, west Cork, two days before Christmas in 1996, the court heard.
Bailey, who lived less than two miles from Ms Toscan du Plantier, has been arrested twice in connection with her death but never charged.
The only witness to put him at the scene at the time of the killing, Marie Farrell, later retracted her evidence, claiming she had been groomed and bullied by investigators into giving false evidence.
Allegations of incompetence and corruption have been made against Irish police.
The French authorities began their own investigation in 2008 after becoming frustrated by the lack of progress.
Ms Toscan du Plantier's body was exhumed in the hope of finding further forensic evidence.
During the proceedings in Paris, a judge and two magistrates heard evidence from only two Irish witnesses and relied primarily on read statements.
Despite Ms Farrell retracting her evidence, and the fact that she is considered an unreliable witness by Irish authorities, the court repeatedly returned to what she previously said.
Ms Toscan du Plantier's son, Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud, said the outcome in Paris was a "victory for justice" and a "victory for the truth".
But Bailey has described the case in France as a "show trial", and his solicitor said the ruling was a miscarriage of justice.
"Ian Bailey never expected to receive what we would understand to be justice in the French jurisdiction," Frank Buttimer said.
"It is incredibly distressing - I do not know how he has managed to survive over the years. This is just the latest, but one of the worst moments of his life, in so far as he has been caught up in this nightmare.
"I truly do not know how he has managed to deal with these extremely difficult matters, but I will continue to support the man."