Defence claims Ian Bailey had confessed to murder

The newspapers who are fighting a libel action taken by English journalist Ian Bailey on coverage of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier claimed today that the plaintiff confessed to killing the Frenchwoman with the words, "I did it, I did it, I went too far."

Mr Bailey strenuously denied this allegation and stressed that he told various people that this is what was being said about him, not that he did it but that it was being said that he did it.