Bailey begins action against newspapers

IAN BAILEY is referred to in West Cork as "the murderer".

Yesterday the 46-year-old Englishman began a defamation action against seven newspapers arising from the brutal murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier near her home at Christmas, 1996.

He told Cork Circuit Court yesterday he never met the French woman.

The plaintiff's barrister, James Duggan, told the court he did not know whether Ian Bailey committed this murder or not.

"He says he did not and I accept it. But this is not enough for the Fourth Estate. They decided he was guilty and there has been trial by media, character

assassination and demonisation. He remains persecuted and victimised. It is for him a living horror story. He has been DNAed, his hair, his blood and his clothes. Nothing. No charges have ever been brought. The Fourth Estate are still not satisfied," Mr Duggan said.

He said Mr Bailey had been shunned by society arising out of slanted and biased reportage and he took the action to restore his good name.

The libel action taken by Mr Bailey against seven newspapers is expected to last a week. He is seeking the maximum award of 3€8,000 in each case. The plaintiff's representatives indicated that if they sued everyone who defamed him the case would go on for years.

Courtroom One at Camden Quay Courthouse was packed yesterday with journalists, gardaí, lawyers and others. The tension of litigation was heightened by the brutal background.

On December 23, 1996, the body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, 38, was found on a remote laneway in Toormore, between Schull and Goleen in West Cork.

The court heard she was a beautiful woman, wife of a documentary filmmaker, who mixed in influential circles in France, a friend of Jacques Chirac.

It also heard later that fateful day, journalist Eddie Cassidy, of the Irish Examiner, contacted Ian Bailey to work on the story. Mr Bailey, who had various jobs since his arrival in West Cork from England six years earlier, including journalism, was one of the first journalists on the story.

Months later, on the morning of February 10, 1997, three gardaí arrived at his home and arrested him for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

They asked him to accompany them to Bandon Garda Station. To his utter horror and amazement, 20 to 30 journalists were there to meet him. A picture of him leaving the garda station appeared in the Sun newspaper the next morning. From then there was no anonymity for Ian Bailey.

Paul Gallagher, senior counsel for the defendant newspapers, said the defence would say Mr Bailey was the main and only suspect for the murder when the articles were published.

He said the defence would claim Mr Bailey was and is a very violent man. Thirdly the defence would claim Mr Bailey courted publicity concerning this murder.