IAN BAILEY HAS written to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to appeal for his help in his upcoming trial for the murder of the film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
Bailey was presented with an indictment by French authorities last year for the 1996 murder of Toscan du Plantier in west Cork.
He told RTÉ’s Drivetime this afternoon that he is digesting the file delivered and will talk to his lawyers about a defence case and will “ultimately take their advice”.
He maintains his innocence saying in the report “I had nothing to do with this terrible crime”.
Bailey said he doesn’t have the means to hire a meaningful legal team in France, and that it was very possible that he would be tried in absentia because of this.
He has said previously he doesn’t feel that he will get a fair trial in France.
He said French authorities have “become obsessed with the false narrative that I had something to do with this crime. I think [the family] were told early on ‘we know who killed your daughter’ and that was given to them very early on”.
“At this stage, it feels nothing less than a torture. And it’s a very hard thing to have to handle and deal with. All that I know is that I do my best to try to deal with it as best I can. But it feels like a torture.”
Alain Spilliaert, the Toscan du Plantier family lawyer said that they were confident that under the circumstances they were going to get a conviction, but that he “cannot enter into the merits of the case on the radio.
“My feeling is that the case is really strong to be heard in court.”
Comments have been closed as the case is due before the courts.
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