Gardaí 'revelled' in Bailey girlfriend's complaint

The Gardaí revelled in the fact that Jules Thomas made a formal complaint to them that her partner, Ian Bailey, had assaulted her two years ago, it was claimed today.

As the second week of Mr Bailey’s libel action against seven newspapers started at Cork Circuit Court, Ms Thomas recalled the incident where he assaulted her with crutches in the living room of their home in The Prairie, Schull, West Cork.

Like her description of two previous assaults, for which she made no complaint to the Gardaí, she described this third incident as more of a ‘tussle’.

She said his Achilles tendon had snapped and he was on crutches.

“It is meant to be one of the most painful things on earth. He was on strong painkillers and he had taken alcohol that night. His resistance was very low to anything I would say at that time,” said Ms Thomas.

She described going to stay with a friend, and the plaintiff’'s barrister, James Duggan, asked her about the making of a complaint to the Gardaí in relation to the incident.

“I was put under rather enormous pressure. Two detectives came around to the house. The gardaí seemed absolutely delighted. They were revelling in it,” she said.

Mr Bailey was arrested for the assault at Cork Airport and he spent a few weeks in prison as he was unable to raise bail.

Ultimately he pleaded guilty to that assault and was given a three-month suspended sentence and a fine.

Ms Thomas said that there was a vast amount of publicity that was completely out of proportion for a domestic incident.

Before Ms Thomas resumed her evidence today two character witnesses were called.

Shopkeeper Brendan Houlihan described the publicity following Mr Bailey’s arrest turning people against Ian Bailey.

“He was branded for a crime he was not charged with,” he said.

When Mr Bailey was served in the shop Mr Houlihan said that other customers would make remarks after he left such as “you’re in good company” or “let me get out of here”.

“When Ian Bailey comes in there is a bit of a hush-hush in the shop, but I have not lost customers,” Mr Houlihan said.

Restaurateur and shopkeeper, Thomas Brosnan, said: “If you believed what you read in the papers you would more or less say he was convicted.”