A former Director of Public Prosecutions has told the High Court he decided there was insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution of Ian Bailey for the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Eamonn Barnes has told the High Court the State solicitor for West Cork told him he was asked by a senior garda to contact the Minister for Justice to get the DPP to charge Ian Bailey with the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The State Solicitor for West Cork, Malachy Boohig, said he was asked to attend a meeting in Bandon Garda Station in March 1998 where it was made clear gardaí were unhappy the DPP had opted not to charge Ian Bailey over the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Says inability to attend mother’s funeral was ‘the cruellest abuse’

A judge yesterday declined a request for leniency for a dairy farmer who had 48 unregistered animals in his West Cork herd.

A long-serving county councillor yesterday succeeded in having a drink-driving conviction overturned.

A High Court judge said “very disturbing” and “unusual” matters related to the Garda investigation into the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier justified orders requiring the State to hand over documents to Ian Bailey.

A senior state solicitor has claimed court cases are being adjourned because gardaí are being prohibited from attending them due to cutbacks.

An unnamed senior garda or gardaí allegedly tried to get the state solicitor for West Cork to put political pressure on the DPP to prosecute Ian Bailey for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, it emerged yesterday.

With the end of the extradition process, the focus in the ongoing Ian Bailey saga now shifts to the Garda ombudsman investigation.

AN internal review containing serious criticisms of the prosecution case against Ian Bailey was withheld from his legal team until recent weeks despite being requested of the Director of Public Prosecutions more than a year ago.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a circuit court judge whose great loves, apart from his family, were the law, politics and the GAA.

Tributes have been made to a Circuit Court judge whose great loves, apart from his family, were the law, politics and the GAA.

THE complete Garda file on the investigation into the killing of a Co Cork widow is to be delivered to the DPP next Friday.

MORE than 30 gardaí, several armed, cordoned off a courthouse in Cork yesterday as a fourth man appeared on charges relating to the biggest drugs haul in the history of the State.

A COURT application by Ian Bailey, a self-confessed suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier killing, to have gardaí return personal items seized from him during the investigation took an unexpected turn yesterday.

STATE solicitor Malachy Boohig yesterday strenuously denied accusations that an investigation was underway into claims of corruption and misbehaviour by gardaí involved in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder inquiry.