Bailey reacted to murder rumours as 'black joke'

Ian Bailey took it as a black joke when a news editor said there was a rumour that he murdered Sophie Toscan du Plantier and he said at the time: “Of course I did, I needed a story.”

Bailey, 50, was reporting for various newspapers on the French woman’s murder two days before Christmas 1996. His conversation with the Sunday Tribune news editor, Helen Callanan, about a week after the death was put in evidence at the High Court in Cork today. He said Ms Callanan was one of a number of people who told him it was rumoured that he was the murderer.