French judge issues arrest warrant for Bailey

THE French judge investigating the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier is said to have issued an arrest warrant for Ian Bailey because he wants to question him about apparent “inconsistencies” between his statements and evidence collected by Gardaí.

Magistrate Patrick Gachon is seeking to organise a face-to-face meeting in Paris between Mr Bailey and witnesses in the case as part of his investigation into the French woman’s murder at her holiday home in Schull, Co Cork, in December 1996.

The Association for the Truth About the Murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier (ASSOPH) welcomed the moves by Judge Gachon and said they “expected great strides” in the investigation.

Reports in the French media, which emerged over the weekend, said the judge discovered what “appeared to be inconsistencies between the explanations provided by the journalist and evidence collected by the Irish investigators”.

Sources told Reuters news agency that the judge wanted to organise “a confrontation” (face-to-face meeting) between Mr Bailey and witnesses and a European Arrest Warrant had been issued to this end.

ASSOPH spokesman Jean-Antoine Bloc said the association welcomed the arrest warrant.

“According to the public prosecutor, quoted by Reuters, the contradictions between the testimony of Ian Bailey and those of some witnesses at the Irish inquest require further clarification.”

He said the investigation, boosted by French justice, had “crossed another milestone”. He said this demonstrated the commitment of the French judiciary system 14 years after the murder.

“After this new step, the association expects great strides be made on the way to the truth,” said Mr Bloc.

Mr Bailey, 53, was arrested twice by Gardaí investigating the fatal beating of Ms Du Plantier, first on February 10, 1997, and again on January 22, 1998.

He was released without charge on each occasion and has continually protested his innocence of any involvement in the killing.

Solicitor for Ian Bailey said after news of the arrest warrant broke that neither he nor his client had any contact from Judge Gachon.

Frank Buttimer questioned the exact reasons why the French authorities wanted to extradite Mr Bailey.

He said his client would fight any extradition in the courts and that he believed Mr Bailey was “completely secure” from a legal perspective. “The law is quite clear 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.”