Bailey witness steps up plans to leave home after car attack

THE burning of a car belonging to a woman, who was once the key witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation, may prompt her to leave her West Cork home sooner than planned.

Marie Farrell said yesterday that she believed a campaign of intimidation was being mounted against her — but she didn’t know who was orchestrating it.

She said she saw flames through the window of her house in Schull at around 1.30am on Sunday, and at that stage her 1990-registered Mercedes 250 D was well alight.

“It was parked in the driveway of the house. My husband, Chris, had moved it out of the garage six or seven hours earlier. It hasn’t been moved after that.

“Chris was in bed when I noticed flames through the window. I ran in and got Chris up and rang the fire brigade. He went out and got the garden hose, but it made no difference. The car just went up in flames, along with my daughter’s trampoline, which was next to it,” she said.

Mrs Farrell said she had already sold her home and the family was planning to move to Longford.

“We were going to move after one of my sons has completed his Leaving Cert. But now we might go before that,” Ms Farrell added.

Late last year, Ms Farrell sensationally withdrew garda statements she had made and which were being used in the du Plantier murder investigation. Ms du Plantier was murdered at her West Cork home in December 1996. Nobody has been convicted for the murder.

At a 2003 libel trial, Ms Farrell claimed she saw the self-confessed chief suspect, journalist Ian Bailey, on a bridge at Kealfadda near Schull hours before the body was found. She later withdrew this claim saying it was “incorrect”.

Gardaí confirmed yesterday that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the “criminal damage” of a person’s car outside a private home in the Ardmanagh area of Schull.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy last year appointed Assistant Commissioner Ray McAndrew to review the du Plantier murder investigation following correspondence with the garda authorities and Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell by solicitors representing Ms Farrell and Mr Bailey.