Former journalist Ian Bailey, on arrival at court in Dublin, Ireland, July 15, 2020. - AFP

He was sentenced for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The Briton Ian Bailey asked this Wednesday, the Irish justice not to accede to the request for extradition emitted by France where his trial was held. The crime took place in Ireland in 1996.

At 63, the accused appeared free at the opening of the hearing, scheduled to last three days, before the Dublin Criminal Court. In June 2019, he was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment by the Paris Assize Court for the murder of the 39-year-old French producer.

The smashed skull

The body of the victim, wife of film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, was discovered on the morning of December 23, 1996 by a neighbor, below her isolated house in Schull, on the southwest coast of Ireland. Her head was smashed and she had numerous defense wounds, showing that she had fought hard.

Ian Bailey's lawyer, Ronan Munro, stressed that he had the "irrefutable" right not to be handed over to France, the Irish courts having twice refused to extradite him. This new attempt by France reflects, according to him, an "abuse of process".

Associated with "suspected murderer"

The lawyer also read a written statement from his client, in which he repeated that it had "nothing to do" with the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. He says he suffered from panic attacks, depression, sleep disturbances and skin problems as a result of the stress that “overwhelmed him” throughout this case.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier case: Ian Bailey sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Paris Assize Court a year ago challenges his extradition to the Irish High Court @PresseJu @justice_gouv @E_DupondM https://t.co/AyI2834ldN

- pettiti laurent (@LaurentPettiti) July 14, 2020

He also missed his mother's funeral, "one of the cruelest aspects of the whole process", and considers it "very trying" to no longer be able to work as a journalist, the media not wanting to be associated "with an alleged murderer" .

Society

Ian Bailey briefly arrested before possible extradition, in the case of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier

Justice

The trial for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier opened in the absence of the accused, Ian Bailey

  • Justice
  • Trial
  • Assize Court
  • Extradition
  • Ireland
  • Murder