Bailey tells of 'eternal shame' over domestic violence against partner Jules Thomas

Ian Bailey has told the High Court of his "eternal shame" regarding incidents of domestic violence against his partner Jules Thomas.

Mr Bailey claims gardaí investigating the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's in 1996 concocted evidence against him. He is suing the State and the Garda Commissioner for alleged wrongful arrest.

The High Court in Dublin has heard details of a litany of injuries suffered by his partner Jules Thomas in domestic violence incidents.

“It’s common knowledge to my eternal shame that in the past when I used to drink spirits, that to my eternal shame, that I was involved in incidents of domestic violence with Ms Thomas,” Mr Bailey said today.

“I don’t know what I can say about that other than to say it’s to my eternal shame.”

Mr Bailey revealed it was known in the locality of Liscaha, Schull in west Cork, where he had been living with Ms Thomas, that he had beaten her.

“People would have been aware,” he told the court. “I don’t know if it was plain for people to see it. It was common knowledge or there was knowledge of it.”

Mr Bailey was shown four photos of injuries Ms Thomas sustained but refused to detail them to the jury.

“I’m not going to describe it. What I see in the photographs is shameful and disgraceful of me and I’m not going to describe that,” he said.

Pressed on the injuries from May 1996 by senior counsel for the State, Luan O Braonain, Mr Bailey agreed with a series of descriptions.

Ms Thomas had a closed, blackened right eye. Another picture showed a bandage over her eye, in another bruises could be seen on her hand and she had a 4cm clump of hair pulled from her head.

The former journalist added he was "one thousand per cent" sure he was not introduced to Sophie Toscan du Plantier by her neighbour in West Cork.

It was put to him under cross examination, that the neighbour in question, Alfie Lyons, has said he was 90% certain that Mr Bailey had met the French film producer.