Gardaí may have sought to pressurise the DPP

An unnamed senior garda or gardaí allegedly tried to get the state solicitor for West Cork to put political pressure on the DPP to prosecute Ian Bailey for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, it emerged yesterday.

A Supreme Court judge yesterday noted that the alleged attempt was resisted by the state solicitor for West Cork, Malachy Boohig, who immediately informed the DPP. The documents containing information of the alleged attempt including emails and memos was only disclosed to the Bailey legal team late last year

The materials, dating back to 1998, include copies of emails apparently written by the then DPP Eamonn Barnes and by Mr Boohig, plus a separate memo about the Bailey case written in 2001 by an unnamed official in the DPP’s office.