IAN BAILEY, THE chief suspect in the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was included in the vote of condolences at a meeting of Cork County Council today.

Bailey, who was originally from Britain, was arrested by gardaí and questioned in relation to the murder but was never charged. He had always vehemently denied any involvement in Toscan du Plantier’s death.

Du Plantier’s body was found near her holiday home in Cork on 23 December 1996. No-one has ever been charged with her killing. 

Bailey was convicted by a French court in his absence following a campaign by Sophie’s family. The Irish High Court had refused to allow his extradition to France.

He died in Bantry, Co Cork over the weekend. 

Independent councillor for Carrigaline Municipal District, Marcia D’Alton, said that she felt it was “appropriate” that the Chamber remark on the death of the 66-year-old who lived in West Cork for several decades. 

“All I know about the tragic case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is what was reported in the media, various media, but I do know that it was a flagship tragedy of my youth,” D’Alton said. 

“I also know that one of the fundamental principles of criminal law and constitutional guarantee is that every person accused of a criminal offence is innocent until proven guilty even if they’re charged,” she said. 

D’Arcy said that “there was never enough evidence to prove Ian Bailey’s guilt in the murder of Sophie yet he lived 30 years of his life under that shadow of guilt”.

“Largely because of what was described by the Director of Public Prosecutions as a prejudiced investigation on the part of the gardaí,” she said. 

“The State handed his files to the French authorities where he was convicted of the murder in his absence,” D’Arcy said.

“The Irish authorities would not enable his extradition and they committed to another review of the 1996 tragedy — we obviously have no idea who is responsible for the heinous murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier but should there be any chance that our State caused this man to live out thirty years of his life under the shadow of suspicion, then I think it is appropriate that we recognise that this is a terrible tragedy.” 

Meanwhile, Independent councillor Frank Roche, who represents the Fermoy Municipal District, said that he thought it was “very sad” that Bailey had spent 30 years of his life under “the shadow of being a criminal.” 

“It was never proven (that he was a criminal). I think it is very sad that the gate in question that was in garda custody had gone missing. It is just showing that we cannot trust the legal system,” Roche said. 

“It is very sad that people that are suffering abuse at the hands of our authorities have to live like this and I hope his life wasn’t cut short because of the corruption of our State.”

Solidarity-People Before Profit councillor Brian McCarthy criticised the vote. 

He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Whether or not he committed the murder, it’s been proven that he was violently abusive and his former partner had to go to the hospital several times after he’d assaulted her.” 

Votes of condolences were also made to former Health Minister Tom Hussey, and Kitty Jeffery from Grenville, Co Cork who died at the age of 109 last week.

Bailey was born in Manchester but had settled in west Cork in the 1990s where he lived with his then-partner Jules Thomas. They separated in recent years.

With reporting by Hayley Halpin