Ian Bailey to fight French extradition bid

IAN BAILEY will fight any attempt to extradite him to France to answer questions about the 1996 murder of French woman Sophie Toscan Du Plantier in west Cork, his solicitor has said.

French authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the former journalist turned law student in connection with their investigation into the 39-year-old film producer’s death.

Her body was found outside her holiday home near Schull, Co Cork. She had been beaten to death.

Ian Bailey, 53, was arrested twice by gardaí investigating the murder, first on February 10, 1997 and again on January 22, 1998. He was released without charge on each occasion. He has continually protested his innocence of any involvement in the killing.

When news broke of the French arrest warrant yesterday, Mr Bailey’s solicitor Frank Buttimer said his client had never been contacted “by any so called French judicial or other authority to assist in relation to any investigation”.

When Mr Buttimer was asked if Mr Bailey would want to fight an extradition warrant, he replied: “You may absolutely rest assured that would be the case.”

“You must bear in mind that in respect of Mr Bailey, I think the DPP has had the file insofar as any concern of Mr Bailey might be applicable on three separate occasions and on each of the three occasions the DPP decided and rightly so not to bring any charges against Mr Bailey in respect of any matter connected with the tragic death of Madame Toscan Du Plantier,” he said.

Mr Buttimer said his client has a strong case in resisting the warrant.

“The law is quite clear on the matter that under section 42 of the act that if it is the case that the Director of Public Prosecutions has already decided in this country, which is the case by the way, that there is not to be a prosecution against Mr Bailey or anybody else in these circumstances for any matter directly or indirectly connected with the subject matter of the application, then the person cannot be sent out of the country,” he told RTÉ. “Its black and white. Its a directive as opposed to a discretion.

“I believe Mr Bailey’s position under Irish law is completely secure. I find the whole thing quite bemusing in the context of the persistent attempted involvement of Mr Bailey in these matters. I don’t even know what the French authorities are actually doing.