Judge says he’s ready to okay Bailey extradition

IAN Bailey could face imminent arrest after a High Court judge indicated he may endorse a warrant seeking Bailey’s extradition to France to stand trial for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

However, Judge Tony Hunt agreed to postpone endorsing the European Arrest Warrant until next week after pleas from the 60-year-old former journalist’s lawyers that he had ‘a lot on his plate’ at present.

Judge Hunt said: ‘I believe I will endorse it, because on the face of it, it complies with the provisions of the Act.’

But he added: ‘I don’t want to do it until arrangements can be made.’ He will hear the application in full on Thursday of next week, March 30, and he pointed out that ‘execution [arrest] could follow swiftly from endorsement’.

However, If he does endorse the warrant there will be further hearings at the High Court to decide whether to send Mr Bailey to France.

That process could take a year or more.

Just over two decades ago, French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found beaten to death at her West Cork holiday retreat. She was 39. Mr Bailey was twice arrested during the late 1990s on suspicion of committing the 1996 murder.

He is now involved in an appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of a civil action for damages over those two arrests, and that begins on March 28. Mr Bailey’s lawyers yesterday told the High Court’s extradition wing that this upcoming appeal was a ‘stressful matter’ for him.

Agreeing Mr Bailey ‘seems to have a lot on his plate at the moment’ and noting that the former murder suspect had an ‘impeccable bail record’, Judge Hunt said he would hold off on approving the French warrant until next week.