A witness yesterday rejected suggestions gardaí must have believed their investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier had gone “into orbit” after they identified Marie Farrrell as the anonymous caller who claimed she had seen a man in a long black coat running on the road near Schull hours before the body was found.

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.

An ex-garda has told the High Court he never gave cannabis to a man in the hope of getting Ian Bailey to “loosen his tongue” in relation to the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

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

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.

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

A retired assistant commissioner has said he was not aware of gardaí putting pressure on the DPP to charge Ian Bailey with the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Action against the State has run for nine weeks to date and jury is anxious to know a likely finish date

A former British soldier has told the Ian Bailey case at the High Court he agreed to meet the Garda Síochána Ombudmsman Commission (GSOC) in February 2014 but left after it refused to pay him expenses for being off work.

A former British soldier yesterday denied a suggestion he was never threatened by gardaí with the “Provos” after he told a journalist that gardaí had provided him with quantities of cannabis to get close to Ian Bailey.

A former British soldier has told the High Court he was forced out of this country and his life was ruined by the garda investigation into Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder.

The action by journalist Ian Bailey against the Garda Commissioner and State has been adjourned to next Tuesday as a result of personal difficulties experienced by a member of the jury.

A former British soldier denied before the High Court he told gardaí in 1997 he and another man were thinking of going down to journalist Ian Bailey’s house to ask him to “give himself up”.

An ex British soldier who claims gardai gave him cannabis to get close to Ian Bailey said he has been hiding from the incident for the last 18 years.

Witness says officers demanded he hand over secret recordings

References were made to poitín, cash, clothes and the moon during recorded conversations played in the High Court yesterday to the jury hearing Ian Bailey’s action for damages against the State.

A man has told the High Court gardai gave him cash “a few quid — 20 bucks here, 40 bucks there”, clothes and significant quantities of cannabis to befriend Ian Bailey and “loosen” his tongue.

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

The High Court has ordered the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to disclose documents relating to complaints by Ian Bailey over the garda investigation into the 1996 murder of French film maker Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has described as “stark” and of “serious concern” the contents of taped conversations in relation to the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier as it emerged there were more than 130 such recordings made by gardaí.

The Taoiseach is to come under sustained pressure in the Dáil this week to explain his role in the resignation of Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan after associates of the former police boss claimed he was shafted for political reasons.

Mark Johnston continued his red-hot streak of form by sending out Shakespearean to win the Variety Club Children's Charity Solario Stakes at Sandown today.

A priest at the funeral of a young road crash victim in Belfast has said Christmas will never be the same for the grieving family.