Farrell and Bailey refuse to talk to garda inquiry

MARIE FARRELL, the woman who controversially withdrew her allegations against journalist Ian Bailey, has put her family home on the market as she and Bailey refused to talk to a new garda investigation into the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

Both Ms Farrell and Mr Bailey, the murder suspect implicated by her witness statements to detectives nine years ago, both declined to speak to a top-level inquiry team, set up by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, without their legal representatives being present.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer, who represents Mr Bailey, said yesterday he was extremely concerned by the way in which gardaí attempted to interview his client.

The Cork solicitor said: "It was unbelievable, considering the correspondence between my office and the garda authorities, that they would attempt to interview Mr Bailey without prior notice."

Mr Buttimer confirmed senior gardaí approached Mr Bailey at his residence at The Prairie, Schull, around midday on Friday.

"There was no prior notification with my office that they planned to contact him or interview him.

"It would be normal for gardaí to reply to correspondence they did not do that; it would be normal practice to arrange, by prior appointment, their plans to contact Mr Bailey they did not do that."

Mr Buttimer said that after a recent exchange of communications with the garda authorities, he had not been notified of the parameters in which the new investigation team plans to conduct its inquiries into Ms Farrell's claims she was induced by gardaí into falsely identifying Mr Bailey near the scene of the murder in December 1996.

"I have now written to the Garda Commissioner to express concern about the manner in which the inquiry is proceeding," he said. The solicitor said he had specifically requested details about the proposed nature of the investigation and the co-operation required by his client.

It also emerged that gardaí, around 11am on Friday, also attempted to interview Ms Farrell, but she refused on the grounds of not being given prior notice.

Mother of five Ms Farrell, who has not publicly spoken about her allegations, has claimed, through her solicitor Donal Daly, that she felt under pressure when she made false witness statements to gardaí.

The Garda Press Office said yesterday there would be no further statement on the progress of the investigation until Assistant Commissioner Ray McAndrews had compiled his report for Commissioner Conroy.

Meanwhile, the five-bedroomed home of Chris and Marie Farrell, at Árd Chleire, in Schull, is for sale with a market value in the region of €400,000.