Bailey loses libel action

Ian Bailey has lost his libel action against newspapers that linked him to the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork seven years ago.

Judge Patrick J Moran ruled at Cork Circuit Court that there was nothing defamatory in the coverage of Mr Bailey that linked him to the murder of the French woman seven years ago.

The judge said the coverage did not identify him as a murderer. They reported correctly that he was a suspect and they reported his assertions that he had nothing to do with the murder.

Mr Bailey was awarded €8,000 against two newspapers, The Sun and The Mirror, but not for their coverage of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The money, €4,000 against each, was awarded against the two newspapers because of unsubstantiated reports that he had assaulted his former wife Sarah Limbrick.

Judge Patrick J Moran expressed the view that Bailey had, on the balance of probabilities, confessed to the murder of Ms du Plantier.

All of the newspaper coverage linking Ian Bailey of the Prairie, Schull, West Cork, to the murder was today found to be non- defamatory.

Judge Moran said there was no evidence produced during the trial to support the claim that he had assaulted his former wife. But Moran found against Ian Bailey on every other aspect of his libel claim against seven newspapers.

In a number of dramatic findings during the judgement Judge Moran found that on the balance of probabilities Bailey did confess to the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The Judge accepted the evidence of Ritchie and Rosie Shelley who said that Bailey said to them after a long new year's eve discussion of the murder case "I did it. I did it. I went too far."

The Judge also accepted that he confessed to the murder to Malachi Reed, who was a 14-year-old boy at the time.

The Judge made the point that he was making these findings of fact on the balance of probability, but crucially not to the higher criminal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Judge said that the he did not have a difficulty with descriptions of Bailey as a man who was violent against women although the evidence was of him assaulting only one woman, his partner Jules Thomas, on three occasions.

"I have no hesitation in describing Mr Bailey as a violent man," said the Judge. "The defendants were perfectly justified in describing him as violent towards women."

The Judge said that it was quite unusual for someone arrested on a murder charge to agree to give interviews to the press. He said: "Normally people withdraw very much into the background following their release from custody."

"He gave interviews and met members of the press. He likes a certain amount of notoriety, likes the limelight, likes a bit of self publicity."

Mr Bailey was described as being "cool" particularly during lengthy cross-examinations and the judge said that his partner Jules Thomas was also very cool.

The question of costs was adjourned until February 12 at which point there will be extensive legal argument about what the judgement means.

The court was packed within one minute of the doors opening at 10.15am.

Bailey was extremely attentive during the judgement but gave no visible reaction to it, however as soon as the judge rose Mr Bailey was seen in active consultation with his solicitor, Con Murphy.

Neither Mr Bailey nor Mr Murphy would comment on the judgement when approached by the Evening Echo.

Mr Bailey waved away other reporters who sought comment.

The intense media interest saw several film crews outside the Camden Quay courthouse today, including French press and Sky News.