‘Still hope for Bailey prosecution’
SOPHIE COUSIN: SUSPECT WAS NEVER CLEARED IN IRISH COURT
A COUSIN of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier says he is hopeful Ian Bailey will be prosecuted for her murder — because Irish courts have not formally cleared him.
Frederic Gazeau, who is one of the producers of the hit Netflix show Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, also claims gardai are convinced of Mr Bailey’s guilt.
That is despite the fact that English-born Mr Bailey – who denies murdering Ms Du Plantier (38) at her west Cork holiday home in December 1996 – has never been charged with the killing here.
Kill
Mr Bailey (64) was arrested twice by the gardai over the murder – but on each occasion the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered that he should not be charged.
Despite that, French authorities mounted their own prosecution against Mr Bailey in 2019 – and convicted him in his absence for the killing. A Paris court sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
Now, speaking on a French radio station podcast on true crime, M r Gazeau says he is still optimistic tha t Mr Bailey will be convicted i n Ireland or in France.
He said: “In Ireland, on the one hand, you have the police who are investigating – who are convinced of
Bailey’s guilt – but in order to be able to take someone to court, the director of prosecutions, the so- called DPP, must initiate proceedings. “However, the DPP has never wanted to f ollow t he conclusions of the police.” But despite t he Ir i sh authorities now twice refusing to extradite Mr Bai ley to France over the murde r in Schu l l , Mr Gazeau says he is still confident the journalist turned poet will be convicted.
And he added: “I think it is not too late since he has never been exonerated by the Irish courts.
“The Gardai, under Irish law, can still challenge him for a third and final time and – again – submit its findings to the DPP. The latter can then decide to prosecute the journalist.”
Pressure
Mr Gazeau also said the French government was still putting pressure on Irish authorities to send Mr Bailey to France – even though independent courts here have twice vetoed that move.
Mr Bailey de clined to comment when contacted by The Star last night.
He has always denied murder ing the French filmmaker.