The State has urged the Court of Appeal to overturn its decision permitting a retrial of part of a civil action by Ian Bailey, over the conduct of the Garda investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

It has been claimed that a newly uncovered file shows gardaí knew as far back as 2002 that there were question marks regarding the credibility of Marie Farrell, a key witness in the initial garda probe into the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Catch up on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com this morning.

A High Court judge probably should not have warned key witness Marie Farrell about perjury in front of the jury hearing Ian Bailey’s damages case but it was a “harmless error”, the State has told the Court of Appeal.

A High Court judge “unfairly disparaged” Marie Farrell, a key witness for Ian Bailey, during Mr Bailey’s civil case for damages against the Garda commissioner and State, the Court of Appeal has been told.

Ian Bailey’s solicitor has denounced the latest moves by French prosecutors to try his client in relation to the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, claiming all the allegations had already been dismissed in this country.

December 23, 1996: The body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is found outside her holiday home near Toormore, near Schull in West Cork by a neighbour. Gardaí launch an investigation into the murder of the French film-maker.

Meath will get a taste of top tier camogie next year after outlasting Galway to be crowned Irish Daily Star National League Division 2 champions at St Brendan’s Park, Birr.

Ian Bailey is to appeal the rejection by a jury of his High Court case earlier this year for conspiracy against An Garda Síochána and the State.

With no appetite for a public inquiry, issues involving gardaí, the State, and Ian Bailey remain unresolved, but co-operation with the French inquiry should stop, writes Michael Clifford

We look back at the evidence given by some of the most important witnesses called during Ian Bailey’s court action

Ian Bailey could face a massive legal bill running into millions of euros after he lost his High Court action for damages against the State over the conduct of the Garda investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The parents of murdered Frenchwoman Sophie Toscan du Plantier have called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to review the extensive Garda file on their daughter’s murder and bring her killer to justice.

“You hold the scales of justice in your hands,” Mr Justice John Hedigan told the jury in the Ian Bailey case before they retired to consider their verdict.

Ian Bailey is likely to leave the taxpayer with a bill for millions of euro after losing his High Court case against the State.

A verdict is expected on Monday in the long-running civil action for damages by Ian Bailey over the conduct of the Garda investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Ian Bailey’s case is about showing, “once and for all” that he had nothing to do with the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and is the victim of an ongoing conspiracy going on more than 18 years, his lawyer, Tom Creed SC, said in his closing address to the jury yesterday.

Case adjourned to March 24 as evidence concludes in civil action against Garda Commissioner and State

Ian Bailey did not appear to be a “very troubled individual” when reciting a poem for a video of the Christmas Day swim in Schull in 1996, a local woman told the High Court.

Ian Bailey was upset and crying when he put his arms around a man and said: “I did it, I did it”, a High Court jury has been told.

A retired garda said he had regarded Ian Bailey as a suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation, and did not recall suspecting anyone else.

A garda has rejected suggestions he and another detective were asked to “put the frighteners” on Martin Graham in June 1997 after gardaí lost trust in the former British soldier as an informant in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation.

Retired detective sergeant Maurice Walsh has denied that gardaí put "the frighteners" on a key witness in the Ian Bailey case.

A former garda detective inspector yesterday denied, as an “outrageous lie”, a claim by Marie Farrell he exposed himself to her in the toilets of Schull golf club sometime in summer 1998 while asking wasn’t it a thrill to be “fitting up” Ian Bailey.

A State witness yesterday denied a suggestion he was so convinced Ian Bailey had murdered Sophie Toscan du Plantier he was “scratching around” for any evidence against him, when gardaí had “none”.

Call showed ‘close’ relationship between garda and Bailey witness

A former detective garda in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation has said he does not believe the reason a superior officer wanted a Garda statement “chopped up” was because it might have been seen as favourable to Ian Bailey.

A former detective garda involved in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation has told the High Court he “totally refutes” claims by Marie Farrell he stripped naked in a holiday home and asked her for sex.

A former detective garda yesterday denied he told Marie Farrell gardaí knew Ian Bailey had killed Sophie Toscan du Plantier and needed her to say Mr Bailey was the man she saw near Schull hours before the body was found.

A detective garda has denied encouraging Schull shopkeeper Marie Farrell to claim she saw Ian Bailey near the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder scene.

A retired Garda detective told the High Court he had no recall of any “dramatic leads” emanating from statements made by a French television producer concerning details of a former lover of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

A garda detective who met Marie Farrell a number of times during the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation has denied that gardaí asked Ms Farrell to name Ian Bailey as the man she saw on the road near Schull hours before the victim’s body was found.

Gardaí did not eliminate Marie Farrell as an important witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation after establishing she had lied to them, an former senior garda told the High Court.

An important witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation was never assured by gardai she would not have to go to court: that would be “ridiculous”, a retired garda detective superintendent told the High Court.

Ex-assistant commissioner tells Bailey case he only found out on his retirement that it had happened

A former detective inspector has denied gardaí arrested Jules Thomas in bad faith so as to put pressure on her partner Ian Mr Bailey, at the time of his first arrest in connection with the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork.

Ian Bailey’s solicitor told the High Court yesterday that assurances were given to Marie Farrell she would not be sued, after she contacted him to say she had said untrue things about his client.

Ian Bailey remains a person of interest for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, according to the garda who has been in charge of the murder inquiry since 2010.

Detective Sgt tells superior they had to ‘break’ Bailey’s partner

A recorded conversation between gardaí in the investigation of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier included a reference to a statement having to get “chopped up”, the jury in journalist Ian Bailey’s civil action against the State heard yesterday.

Ian Bailey's damages action has been hearing secretly taped garda phone calls in which a detective is heard saying: "That statement has to get chopped up."

Retired garda John Wilson yesterday told the High Court Ian Bailey and Jules Thomas had remained under garda surveillance up until recent years at a level usually reserved for active criminal offenders.

Marie Farrell has denied she was present at any conversation where a garda allegedly told her husband of having a mark on his stomach which occasionally bled.

Marie Farrell yesterday insisted she was telling the truth when she told a Garda inquiry a detective sergeant apologised to her over an incident in which she alleged he exposed himself to her before saying words to the effect “fitting up” journalist Ian Bailey was a “turn on”.