Ian Bailey no-show as French seek arrest

IAN Bailey was absent from court yesterday when the State began a fresh attempt to extradite him to France over the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

At a hearing a fortnight ago, the State lost a High Court bid to immediately re-arrest him on a new European Arrest Warrant from the French.

A judge then ruled that Mr Bailey would have to be notified before any decision could be made about endorsing the warrant.

The case was adjourned to yesterday but neither Mr Bailey nor his lawyers turned up.

Ronan Kennedy, for the State, yesterday told the court Mr Bailey and his solicitor Frank Buttimer had been told about the hearing. Mr Kennedy said the State’s legal team had written to Mr Bailey’s legal team on March 7 ‘inviting them to attend if they so wished on today’s date to make any submissions they may wish to make’.

Judge Tony Hunt said: ‘The application is simply to endorse the warrant. What remains to be done?’

Mr Kennedy said the State wished to make further submissions to the court. Judge Hunt adjourned the case until today.

French film producer Mrs Toscan du Plantier was found beaten to death at her west Co. Cork holiday retreat in December 1996. She was 39 years old. Mr Bailey was arrested twice in the late Nineties in Ireland over the killing, but was never charged. He has always vehemently protested his innocence.

He was first arrested on a European warrant in 2010 but later won a Supreme Court bid blocking his extradition to France. However, last month he was formally indicted over the killing by a French judge.