Farrell named three different men as her companion on morning of murder, Bailey trial hears

Marie Farrell, a witness in the Ian Bailey case, has at different times named three individuals as the man she was with early on the morning of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder, the High Court heard today.

The Schull shopkeeper told Gardaí in 2002 that she saw a man at 3am near the French film producer's home, while with a companion from Longford called Oliver Crochane, the court heard.

Under cross examination, she claims she had previously given the name Jan Bartells to gardaí, on the instructions of a detective.

Last week, she said the man with her in the car in 1996 was deceased Longford factory worker John Reilly.

The court later heard that Marie Farrell lied in Bailey's 2003 libel proceedings against several newspapers for naming him as a suspect in the murder investigation.

She said she had seen the journalist near the killing at Kealfada bridge.

The shopkeeper says she perjured herself at the behest of gardaí who warned her that if she didn't voluntarily give evidence at the libel trial she'd be brought there in handcuffs.

Under cross examination, she said after the libel trial, Det Jim Fitzgerald arranged for her to do a major interview with The Star newspaper in order to generate bad publicity about Ian Bailey that might lead to his arrest.

She denied doing it for money or revelling in the attention.

Former journalist Ian Bailey is suing the State and Garda Commissioner for alleged wrongful arrest.