Probe into murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier must continue, says uncle

Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s uncle said that Irish investigators must continue to probe her murder.

Jean Pierre Gazeau, the uncle of Sophie, said Ian Bailey, who died on Sunday, “never faced legal consequences” in Ireland.

Mr Bailey, 66, was the main suspect in the murder of the French producer.

Mr Bailey had a severe heart condition and had been a candidate for surgery.

The body of Ms Toscan du Plantier, 39, was found badly beaten outside her holiday home in Schull, West Cork, in December 1996.

Mr Bailey, with an address at The Prairie in Schull, was convicted of her murder in his absence by a Paris court in May 2019, which imposed a 25-year sentence.

He had no legal representation, did not attend the court and described it as a farce at the time.

In October 2020, the High Court in Ireland rejected an attempt by French authorities to extradite Mr Bailey for the murder.

The court ruled that he would not be surrendered to France after a European Arrest Warrant was issued in 2019.

Mr Bailey has always vehemently denied any involvement in Ms Toscan du Plantier’s death.

Mr Gazeau said his family were so certain of Mr Bailey’s guilt because he was convicted of her murder in a French court, adding there were so many “circumstantial evidences” tying him to her death.

Mr Gazeau told RTÉ radio: “Ian Bailey, he is a human being and may his soul rest in peace.

“Ian Bailey remained free in Ireland. He never faced legal consequences in that country. He constantly refused to answer questions from French investigators from the judge.

“He tied himself in lies, omissions, contradictions before Irish investigators.

“Ian Bailey consistently evaded justice and refused to disclose the truth to a judge about the murder of Sophie.” He added: “I think the cold case team’s investigation in Ireland should continue because there is a strong possibility to have new evidence coming from DNA researchers with this new system of investigation.” 

Mr Gazeau said Sophie’s parents, whom he said were unwell, will be told about Mr Bailey’s death later on Monday.

He also said that Mr Bailey attempted to contact him a number of times.

“We always refused to establish a direct contact with Ian Bailey. This is a matter of justice. When someone is accused of murder, I think the most important thing is to have normal a relationship between that person, which is considered a suspect, and the police.

“It’s not normal to have a direct communication between between the suspect and the family of the victim.” 

Manchester-born Bailey tried to build a career as a journalist before moving to West Cork in the mid-1990s where he turned his hand to poetry, gardening and running a pizza stall with his former partner.