Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier explained

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Sophie Toscan du Plantier
Birth Name:Sophie Bouniol
Birth Date:28 July 1957
Birth Place:Paris, France
Death Place:Goleen, County Cork, Ireland
Body Discovered:23 December 1996, 10 am
Death Cause:Blunt force trauma
Nationality:French
Occupation:Television producer
Resting Place:Combret, France[1]
Resting Place Coordinates:44.5074°N 3.1837°W

Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a 39-year-old French woman, was killed outside her holiday home near Toormore, Goleen, County Cork, Ireland, on the night of 23 December 1996.[2]

Victim

Sophie Toscan du Plantier, née Bouniol, was born on 28 July 1957.[3] She was a French television producer[4] and lived in Paris with her husband and a son from her first marriage. She had visited Ireland several times as a teenager and bought the cottage at Toormore in 1993 as a holiday retreat. She was a regular visitor with her son. Locals knew her by her maiden name. The cottage is located in the townland of Dunmanus West in rural West Cork.[5] She arrived alone in Ireland on 20 December 1996, with plans to return to Paris for Christmas.[6]

Investigation

Toscan du Plantier was found dead by a neighbour at 10 am, her body clad in nightwear and boots, in a laneway beside her house.[7] Her longjohn bottoms were caught on a barbed-wire fence. Bloodstains were present on a gate as well as a nearby piece of slate and a concrete block. Her body was left outdoors until the State pathologist, Dr John Harbison, arrived 28 hours later. He found "laceration and swelling of the brain, fracture of the skull, and multiple blunt head injuries".[8] The facial injuries were so severe that her neighbour could not formally identify her.[6]

The Gardaí have been criticised for mishandling evidence, with several items including the bloodstained gate going missing in their custody,[9] and were alleged to have coerced and intimidated witnesses,[10] including the prime suspect Ian Bailey.[11] A Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission report concluded that while there was a lack of administration and management in the investigation, there was no evidence of high-level corruption.[12] [13] The report noted that records of the Gardaí investigation had been altered and several pages removed, although this had taken place some time after the initial investigation.[13]

Suspect

Ian Kenneth Bailey was born on 27 January 1957 in Manchester, England.[14] He worked variously as a freelance journalist, sometimes published under the name Eoin Bailey,[15] and a fish farm worker and held a market stall selling pizzas and poems. He moved to Ireland in 1991 and lived with his partner in Goleen from 1992 onwards.

Bailey, who lived near Toscan du Plantier's home in Ireland, was a suspect arrested twice by the Garda Síochána, yet no charges were laid as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) found there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Bailey lost a libel case against six newspapers in 2003. He also lost a wrongful arrest case against the Gardaí, Minister for Justice, and Attorney General in 2015.

In 2019, Bailey was convicted of murder in absentia by the Cour d'Assises in Paris, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was tried in absentia in France after winning a legal battle against extradition. In 2020, Ireland's High Court ruled that Bailey could not be extradited. Bailey died on 21 January 2024, aged 66, following a suspected cardiac arrest outside his residence in Bantry.[16]

Bailey was known to local Gardaí from previous incidents of domestic violence towards his partner, which had resulted in her hospitalisation. In 2001, he was convicted of assault in Skibbereen District Court. A psychiatrist's report prepared for the murder trial concluded he had a "personality constructed on narcissism, psycho-rigidity, violence, impulsiveness, egocentricity, with an intolerance to frustration and a great need for recognition. Under the liberating effects of alcohol, he had the tendency to become violent". After his failed libel case, the judge stated that "Mr Bailey is a man who likes a certain amount of notoriety, that he likes perhaps to be in the limelight, that he likes a bit of self-publicity".

Bailey denied knowing the victim. Several witnesses contradicted this.[17]

Bailey was informed of the murder at 1:40 pm by an Examiner reporter. He denies telling Bailey the woman was French as he did not know this information at that stage. Several witnesses reported being told by Bailey before noon that he was reporting on a murder of a French woman. Another three witnesses stated they were offered crime scene photographs at about 11 am.[17]

While under investigation, he continued to write news articles alleging the victim had "multiple male companions" and steering suspicion for the murder away from West Cork toward France.[18]

In the days following the murder, Bailey was noted to have multiple scratches to his forearms as well as an injury to his forehead. He attributed these to cutting down a Christmas tree on the morning of 22 December.[19] Investigators could not reproduce those injuries while cutting down trees, and witnesses who were with him on the evening of the 22nd, before the murder, could not recall any injuries.

Bailey and his partner gave conflicting accounts of his whereabouts on the night of the murder. In their initial statements to Gardaí, they both said Bailey had been in bed all night long. Thomas subsequently retracted that account and said Bailey had got out of bed about an hour after they had gone to bed at 10 pm, and returned at 9 am. with a new injury to his forehead. Bailey changed his story to say that he got up at 4 am, wrote an article for about 30 minutes and returned to bed.[20]

A 14-year-old boy said that two months after the killing Bailey told him that he "smashed her brains in with a rock", though Bailey disputed this. In 1998, while drinking at home with another couple after a night out, Bailey began talking to another man about the killing and said, "I did it, I did it – I went too far", though again Bailey disputed this.

Bailey wrote to the Director of Public Prosectutions, while being sought by French authorities, to ask for a trial in Ireland as he wished to clear his name.[21]

Bailey died after collapsing, due to a suspected cardiac arrest, outside his residence in Bantry, on 21 January 2024, aged 66.[22]

In January 2024, after Bailey's death, Gardaí conducted a search of his flat with a warrant, taking a laptop, memory sticks, notebooks and personal items which could be used for a DNA profile.[23]

Key witness

On 11 January 1997, a woman who lived in Schull rang the Gardaí from a payphone using an alias to state she saw a man on Kealfadda Bridge at 3 am on the night of the murder. A public appeal was made on television for her to come forward to give a statement. She called the station from her house to say she would not come forward, but the call was traced and she was subsequently identified.

The woman said she was driving with a man who was not her husband and was unwilling to give evidence publicly. In 2015, under oath, she named the man as a since deceased man from Longford.[24]

In the 2003 libel trial, she gave evidence on behalf of the newspapers that the man she saw on the bridge was Bailey.

In 2004, she was threatened with legal action by Bailey to retract her statements.[25] In 2005, she reported being intimidated by Bailey in her shop.[26]

In 2015, she gave evidence on behalf of Bailey in his wrongful arrest civil case. She contradicted her earlier testimony. A transcript of her testimony was referred to the DPP to examine whether she had committed perjury.[27]

French Murder trial

In 2007, the Association for the Truth on the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier née Bouniol was founded by her family in order to advance the investigation.[28]

In February 2010, a European Arrest Warrant was issued by a French magistrate which led to the High Court in Ireland granting an extradition order.[29] This was appealed to the Supreme Court by Bailey.[30] In March 2012, the appeal was granted by the Irish Supreme Court.[31] All five judges upheld the appeal on the ground that the French authorities had no intention to try him at this stage; four of the judges also upheld the argument that the European Arrest Warrant prohibited surrendering Bailey to France because the alleged offence occurred outside French territory and there was an absence of reciprocity.[32]

In 2016, Bailey wrote to the Director of Public Prosectutions asking for a trial in Ireland so he could clear his name, which did not happen.

In March 2017, Bailey was arrested in Ireland on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the French authorities. The warrant sought to extradite Bailey to France to stand trial for the voluntary homicide of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and the High Court of Ireland endorsed the warrant.[33] Bailey was successful in avoiding extradition, and in 2018, a French court ruled there was "sufficient grounds" for Bailey to face trial in absentia.[34]

Bailey was convicted in absentia in Paris of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison on May 31, 2019.[35]

French law claims to have the right of jurisdiction over the murder of a French citizen anywhere in the world. Bailey's Irish lawyer Frank Buttimer said “France has no respect for our justice system. We are a democratic country." His French lawyer said the French trial was “a humiliation for Ireland, which is being treated like a banana republic”.[36]

On 12 October 2020, the judge Paul Burns in Ireland's High Court ruled that Bailey could not be extradited.[37] Later that same month, the Irish State decided not to appeal the High Court's finding,[38] effectively ending all attempts to extradite Bailey.

During a French state visit to Dublin in August 2021, President Macron suggested that a new trial for Bailey could be arranged should he wish to travel to France.[39]

Bandon phone recordings

In 2014, when it came to light that phone calls at Garda stations had been secretly recorded, there were claims that some recordings from Bandon Garda station had evidence of irregularities in the Toscan du Plantier investigation. The 297 recorded calls regarding the investigation which had survived a flood were investigated by the Fennelly Commission. The commission concluded that while there was evidence Gardaí were "prepared to contemplate" altering or suppressing evidence that Bailey had not committed the murder, there was no evidence Gardaí had actually done so. It did find that Gardaí improperly disclosed confidential information about the investigation to journalists and other civilians.[40]

Garda review

In June 2022 it was reported that the Garda Serious Crime Review Team would conduct "a full review" of the murder case.[41]

"True crime" accounts

A large number of true crime accounts have been produced:

See also

References

Sources

Primary:Irish court judgments:

French court judgment:

Other:

Secondary:

Citations

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Murdered woman is exhumed 12 years on. David. Sapsted. 12 July 2008. The National.
  2. Web site: 2021-06-30 . The Enduring Mystery Behind the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier . 2024-05-29 . Biography . en-US.
  3. Book: Riegel, Ralph . A Dream of Death . Gill Books . 2020 . 9780717186716 . Dublin . English.
  4. Web site: 1996-12-25 . Sophie Toscan du Plantier tuée en Irlande . 2018-12-31 . Libération . fr.
  5. Web site: Ireland . TheCork ie (News)-Your Online News from Cork . 2022-08-18 . Where is the 'Sophie Tuscan du Plantier house' in West Cork? . 2023-02-08 . TheCork.ie (News & Entertainment) . en-GB.
  6. Web site: 2015-04-03. Sophie Toscan du Plantier, un drame sans fin. 2021-06-22. Radio France Internationale. fr.
  7. Web site: O'Callaghan . Gavin . 2021-07-03 . Sophie Toscan du Plantier's West Cork neighbour puts house up for sale . 2023-03-14 . Cork Beo . en.
  8. News: A brutal death in black and white. 2021-06-22. The Irish Times. en.
  9. Web site: Ian Bailey says he knows what happened to blood-stained gate which went 'missing' during Sophie murder investigation. The Irish Post. Brent. Harry. 14 July 2021.
  10. Web site: Bailey case: Marie Farrell walks out of High Court witness box. BBC News. 11 December 2014.
  11. Web site: Ian Bailey claims he was told he'd be shot if he didn't confess to murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Irish Mirror. Kierans. John. 11 June 2023.
  12. Web site: GSOC investigation: Du Plantier evidence tampered with. 3 August 2018. Irish Examiner.
  13. News: Evidence went missing but 'no proof Bailey was framed'. The Irish Times. Roche. Barry. 2 August 2018.
  14. News: Roche . Barry . Ian Bailey, suspect for Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder, dies in Cork . 21 January 2024 . The Irish Times . 21 Jan 2024.
  15. News: Carolan . Mary . Court hears Bailey wrote newspaper articles about murder inquiry . 6 July 2021 . The Irish Times . 13 Nov 2014.
  16. Web site: 2024-01-21 . Ian Bailey dies after suffering suspected heart attack on west Cork street . 2024-01-22 . Independent.ie . en.
  17. News: Roche. Barry. A 23-year investigation: What next for the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder case?. 2021-06-22. The Irish Times. en.
  18. Web site: Bailey and the French connection. 2021-06-22. Irish Independent. 16 November 2014 . en.
  19. News: Ian Bailey had scratches on hands, court told . 2023-02-08 . The Irish Times . en.
  20. News: Journalist says he was at home on night of murder. 2021-07-05. The Irish Times. en.
  21. News: The French trial of Ian Bailey: Was it justice? . 2024-08-01 . The Irish Times . en.
  22. News: Murder suspect Ian Bailey dies in west Cork. Cathy. Halloran. 21 January 2024. RTÉ News.
  23. News: Gardaí seize files from Ian Bailey's flat in west Cork . Sheehy . Paschal . 2024-01-26 . 2024-01-27 . RTÉ News.
  24. News: 2014-12-11. Ian Bailey case: Marie Farrell walks out of High Court witness box. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-06-22.
  25. News: Roche. Barry. From Paris to west Cork and back: The story of the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation. 2021-06-22. The Irish Times. en.
  26. Web site: Byrne. Nicola. 2005-10-15. Cork murder witness tried to sell her story. 2021-06-22. The Guardian. en.
  27. News: Roche. Barry. Ian Bailey case: Marie Farrell evidence derailed action. 2021-06-22. The Irish Times. en.
  28. Web site: Association pour la Verite sur L'Assassinat de Sophie Toscan du Plantier née Bouniol . 2021-06-22. assoph.org.
  29. Web site: Bailey arrested as French authorities up extradition bid. Herald Newspaper, Ireland. 23 July 2012.
  30. Web site: Ian Bailey's lawyers seek leave to appeal . Southern Star Newspaper, Ireland . 23 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131219110320/http://www.southernstar.ie/article.php?id=2574 . 19 December 2013 . dmy .
  31. Web site: Ian Bailey wins appeal against extradition. March 2012. Radio Telefís Éireann, Ireland. 23 July 2012.
  32. Web site: Ian Bailey wins extradition appeal. Irish Times Newspaper. 23 July 2012.
  33. News: High Court endorses Ian Bailey European Arrest Warrant. RTÉ News. 30 March 2017.
  34. News: 2018-02-03 . British man to face trial in France over 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier . en-US . France 24 . 2018-04-23.
  35. News: Carroll . Rory . 31 May 2019 . Long political silence over garda conduct during Ian Bailey case . The Guardian . 27 August 2021.
  36. Book: Feldman, Fred . Distributive Justice . 2016-07-14 . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198782988.001.0001 . 978-0-19-878298-8.
  37. Web site: O’Riordan . Alison . 12 October 2020 . Ian Bailey cannot be extradited to France, High Court rules . Irish Examiner.
  38. Web site: State will not appeal refusal to extradite Ian Bailey to France. Eoin. Reynolds. 27 October 2020. Irish Examiner.
  39. News: Ian Bailey could face 'new trial' if he agrees to come to France, Macron says. .
  40. Web site: Report of the Fennelly Commission. 2021-06-22. gov.ie. 6 April 2017 . en.
  41. News: Gardaí to review Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder case . 29 June 2022 . RTÉ News . 29 June 2022.
  42. Book: West Cork. en.
  43. Web site: West Cork Is a Meticulous and Thoughtful True-Crime Podcast. Quah. Nicholas. 2018-03-07. vulture.com. 2019-03-19.
  44. Web site: RTÉ One to air The Du Plantier Case tonight. 2021-07-10. RTE Press Centre.
  45. Web site: Murder at the Cottage release date: Trailer, news and more. Radio Times.
  46. Web site: New Sky Crime doc on murdered Sophie identifies three suspects. John. Kierans. 22 April 2021. Cork Beo.
  47. News: Power. Ed. Sophie: A Murder in West Cork. Netflix's 'poisonous propaganda' series is gripping. 2021-06-22. The Irish Times. en.
  48. Book: Sheridan, Michael . Death in December: The story of Sophie Toscan du Plantier . .
  49. Book: Sheridan, Michael . The Murder of Sophie: How I Hunted and Haunted the West Cork Killer . Amazon. December 2020 . Independently published . 979-8-5750-1989-3 .
  50. Web site: Dream of Death / Ralph Riegel . 2023-02-08 . Bookworm Bookstore . en.
  51. Web site: Murder at Roaringwater by Nick Foster . Waterstones.
  52. News: McGrath-Bryan . Mike . Colm Meaney and Aidan Gillen to star in new docudrama on Sophie Toscan du Plantier case . 23 May 2024 . Irish Examiner . 23 May 2024.
  53. News: Kierans . John . Fitton . Daire . New film about Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder to be styled after Hollywood classic 12 Angry Men . 23 May 2024 . Cork Beo . 11 April 2024.