Gardaí meet Bailey witness to ‘clarify’ statement

A KEY witness who sensationally withdrew statements in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation was yesterday questioned by gardaí.

By agreement with gardaí, Marie Farrell was questioned at the Anglesea St station in Cork in relation to a 20-page statement she submitted, a few weeks ago, to a new investigation team.

Her solicitor Donal Daly said gardaí wanted to “clarify a few issues” in relation to that statement.

Ms du Plantier was found dead near Schull in West Cork in December 1996.

Shortly afterward, Ms Farrell allegedly told gardaí she saw self-confessed chief suspect Ian Bailey at Kealfadda Bridge, close to Ms du Plantier’s home on the night she died. She repeated the allegation in December 2003, during a libel trial brought by Mr Bailey against several newspapers.

Last October, however, she withdrew her statements claiming she had felt under pressure by garda when she had made them.

On foot of her claim, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy ordered an investigation and appointed Assistant Commissioner (Southern Region) Ray McAndrew to head the inquiry.

Members of the new investigation team have also met with English-born freelance journalist Mr Bailey to discuss certain matters.