Farrell ‘wasn’t eliminated as witness’ after gardaí established she had lied

Gardaí did not eliminate Marie Farrell as an important witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation after establishing she had lied to them, an former senior garda told the High Court.

Ted Murphy, a retired detective chief superintendent, said he knew by May 1997, Ms Farrell had lied about the identity of the male companion with her, when they allegedly drove past another man walking on the road near Schull on the night of December 22/23, 1996, hours before the Frenchwoman’s body was found.

He agreed that he had in January 1998, told a district court judge Ms Farrell was a “key witness” in the investigation, but also accepted an official in the DPP’s office had described Ms Farrell as not reliable.