Book review: When murder doesn’t out

Senan Molony makes a very strong case as to why he believes that Ian Bailey committed the murder in 'Sophie' —  an enjoyable and punchy read.

Ian Bailey was the chief suspect in the killing of  Sophie Toscan du Plantier. His death earlier this year has freed up the conversation about his role in the tragic affair.

• Sophie 
• Senan Molony 
• Hachette Books Ireland, €16.99

Murder has always been a great seller of newspapers.

If the murder has an air of mystery around ‘who dunnit’ and why, it will be an even better seller. 

Millions of newspapers were sold on famous cases like the ‘Jack the Ripper’ murders, or ‘The Missing Postman’.

In the midst of all these newspaper sales, it is easy for all of us to forget that the crime of murder leaves a family bereft of a loved one.

This is the case with Ireland’s most infamous murder of the past 30 years: The sad, unsolved, and very disturbing murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier near Schull, Co Cork, on December 23, 1996.

Nobody was ever convicted. In fact, such were the circumstances (almost Christmas) that the location and lack of state resources in the days after contributed to the fact that nobody was ever charged.

Ian Bailey was the chief suspect. His death earlier this year has freed up the conversation about his role in the tragic affair.

A new book, Sophie, by Senan Molony, is the first to explore the events of the Toscan Du Plantier murder without the constraints of discussing the prime suspect.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s murder near Schull, Co Cork, on December 23, 1996, is unsolved.

At the time of the murder, Molony was working for The Star and was the first journalist from a Dublin paper to be sent to the scene. 

The fact that the murder happened in the early hours of December 23 made life very difficult for everyone; Ireland had all but closed down for Christmas.

Molony recalls how he had to cancel arrangements to socialise with his brother. 

The state pathologist, Professor John Harbison, had advised the Department of Justice that he would be on holidays; December 23 was his birthday, so Harbison did not answer his phone.

 For their part, the Department had not made any arrangements for cover for John Harbison.

The body remained at the murder scene for considerably longer than it should have. As a result, vital evidence was lost. 

Finally, The Star, to aid their reporter, hired Ian Bailey, then working as a freelance reporter, to assist Molony in getting the story.

Initially, Molony was impressed by Bailey’s knowledge and background work on the story. 

Within weeks, however, it became clear that Bailey was submitting stories of a fanciful nature, even suggesting that the murderer came from France.

He was also quoting as fact information that would not become known until after the autopsy was published. Such was the appetite for information on the murder, however, that Bailey always seemed to find a newspaper to print his stories.

Molony relays that the gardaí were monitoring Bailey’s stories in the hope that he would incriminate himself.

Although he was arrested and questioned, Bailey was never charged with murder in Ireland. This fact led to years of legal actions, instigated by Bailey, claiming unlawful arrest, deformation of character, and related matters.

All these cases failed and even though more information, such as Bailey’s diaries, emerged, there was never enough to make the Director of Public Prosecutions satisfied that a murder charge would stick.

Sophie is an enjoyable and punchy read. Senan Molony makes a very strong case as to why he believes that Ian Bailey committed the murder. 

As background, he outlines Bailey’s life in England, before he came to Schull, and his propensity to use violence, especially against females.

Nothing will never undo what happened. Sophie Tuscan du Plantier came to West Cork regularly because she found peace there.

Her death, at Christmas time, could hardly have been less peaceful or more violent. 

There is a void in the heart of her parents, her husband, and her son, voids that all of the court cases, the column inches, and the books that have been and will be printed about this story will never fill.