Cork County Council passes vote of condolence for Ian Bailey

The chief suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, Ian Bailey, has been included alongside others who passed away recently in a vote of condolences passed at today’s meeting of Cork County Council.

The name of Ian Bailey, who died on Sunday after he collapsed on Barrack Street in Bantry after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest, was suggested by Independent councillor Marcia Dalton and her proposal was also supported by fellow Independent councillor Frank Roche.

Ms Dalton said that she thought it ‘appropriate’ that the Chamber would ‘remark on the passing of Ian Bailey’. 

“All I know about the tragic case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is what was reported in various media but I do know it was a flagship tragedy of my youth and 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.

“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.

“The State handed his files to the French authorities where he was convicted of the murder in his absence.

“The Irish authorities would not enable his extradition and they committed to another review of the 1996 tragedy – we obviously have no idea who’s 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 30 years of his life under the shadow of suspicion, then I think it appropriate that we recognise that this too was a terrible tragedy.” 

It is the normal procedure at Cork Council meetings for councillors to suggest names to be added to a vote of condolence which is routinely not actually voted upon. Customarily those who are named in a vote of condolences are former councillors, council workers, relatives of council workers and other notable people who have passed away since the last meeting. 

Among those included in the vote of condolence at today’s meeting was a former Government minister, Tom Hussey, who died at the weekend, and Kitty Jeffery of Glenville who was Ireland’s oldest woman when she passed away last week at the age of 109.