Court hears Bailey wrote newspaper articles about murder inquiry

Ian Bailey told the jury he believed he had not told the Sunday Tribune, when contributing articles to it concerning the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, he himself might be a suspect.

Mr Bailey, who denies any involvement in the killing, said he believed gardaí had a number of suspects after late December 1996 and that those might include himself and his partner, Jules Thomas, but he was not certain.

Gardaí had made inquiries of himself and Ms Thomas and he knew "large numbers of people in Schull were getting the same treatment" but he did not think he told the Tribune he was one of them.

It was a “very strange time” and at the same time he did not know the finger of suspicion was “being pointed at me”. With hindsight, he could see the finger pointing from December 27th, 1996 but at that time he did not know and did not understand “the machinations of Garda thinking”.

He agreed he had provided copy to the Sunday Tribune and the Star newspaper arising from the death of Ms Toscan Du Plantier. He agreed some articles he contributed to appeared to suggest the finger of suspicion for the murder was being pointed at France. Other articles suggested a local person could have been responsible while still others suggested both lines of inquiry were being pursued, he said.

He said he had not received much information from gardaí about what was happening and derived his information from sources including local people and other journalists.

Asked about a December 28th, 1996 article in the Star under his name which claimed the victim had a "complicated love life" and was headlined: "Locals talk of male friends", he said some of that information came from him but not all. He was told by a neighbour, Alf Lyons, about her having different companions, he said.

He agreed that article gave the impression the finger of suspicion was pointing towards France and male friends of the victim. He was not sure he had written that part of the article despite it appearing under his byline. Asked had he no compunction about writing details about the victim’s private life, he said he was a reporter and asked: “Do reporters have compunction?” When counsel said some do, he agreed but said while he had sympathy for people, he was a journalist.

He agreed he had declined an offer to have his name put on another article in the Star and said that was due to his being concerned about local sensitivities.

When it was suggested he had made inconsistent statements about his knowledge of the nationality of the victim, he said he was told on the phone by a journalist about 1.40pm on Monday, December 23rd it was a foreign woman. The journalist may also have said she could have been French and it was confirmed on the 2pm news she was French, he said.

Asked about an article in the Star of December 26th, 1996, which referred to there being questions about the victim's final hours and stating the "hunt intensifies", published under the name Eoin Bailey, he said he got information from Bantry Garda station but was not sure specifically from whom.

He said he could not recall how exactly he got the information, it was probably in “common circulation”.

He spoke to gardaí but they were “strangely unhelpful”.

It was common knowledge the killing had occurred and a hunt was under way and this story reflected the reality, he said.

Asked about an article referrring to blood on the back door of the victim’s home, he said he got that information from Alf Lyons, a neighbour of the victim.