That day, he nominated Ian Bailey as a "good suspect" to the incident room that was set up at Bantry Garda Station in the wake of the murder
This suggests that it only took the gardai 4 days to begin to point their investigation in the direction of Ian Bailey. That coincides with the claims of the gardai asking Marie Farrell to review video footage of Bailey around December 28th.
Also worth thinking about, was Alfie Lyons Ian Baileys source of information when reporting on the crime?
It's an excellent line of enquiry as Jules would have had ample reason or motivation, however it was never really followed up as many things.
Like how did Bailey go to Sophie's house? By car? - if a car was heard? How did Bailey know that she was there? Where precisely was Sophie really murdered? If outside, why didn't any of the neighbours hear anything? And why was Sophie's body dumped where it was? In plain sight, to be found the next morning? If the body was dumped behind the bushes, Sophie would not have been found for several days, thus the time of death would even have been more uncertain to determine?
And if Bailey would have arrived by car, he could have driven Sophie to some site on the cliffs and thrown her into the sea to dispose of the body? One capable of killing could have done that as well?
What's also scary is that one can be sentenced in France to a lengthy jail time just on hearsay? ( just being out and about at 2 or 3am in the morning doesn't prove anything, also not if he was apparently seen at Kealfadda brige or not ) Also could Bailey have this have overturned in a European court of justice? ( apart from financial aspects ? )
The Garda got 'a fright' because someone living in the area walked up to the cordon in broad daylight? Seriously.
What we he have done if he's seen Bailey in a field? Run into the ditch like the other eejit.
That's one easily frightened Garda or else not very good at making **** up.
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/murder-and-suspicion-linger-in-west-cork-despite-garda-victory-31118695.html
"Martin Malone, a local garda who was dispatched to the crime scene, "got a fright" when Ian Bailey, sometime freelance journalist, turned up at 2.20pm. The last time he'd seen Mr Bailey was when his partner, Jules Thomas, had come to the station to withdraw an earlier complaint that he had assaulted her. That day, he observed that Ian Bailey was "very well dressed" in a long coat. He said he didn't ask any questions about the murder victim and "seemed to be acting the part of a journalist". "He departed too quickly and I was suspicious of him," he said in a statement some weeks later.
Four days later, Martin Malone heard that Ian Bailey was back at the crime scene. He had gone up the lane, past the garda cordon, to Alfie Lyons' house. According to Mr Malone, he had told the garda he had a message for Mr Lyons and mentioned "briquettes". Mr Malone said he was "furious" and "suspicious". He wondered was Ian Bailey trying to compromise the scene? But when he was cross-examined, he agreed that Mr Bailey could have been trying to get information out of Mr Lyons as a journalist.
That day, he nominated Ian Bailey as a "good suspect" to the incident room that was set up at Bantry Garda Station in the wake of the murder"
Bear in mind it is a guard giving this statement, and we know too well what they were capable of during this investigation.
4 days after the murder its claimed Ian Bailey walked past the police cordon claiming he was delivering briquettes to Alfie Lyons' house.
What is the briquettes story? the photo does say january. I don't see anything unusual about a journalist nosing around there.hewas a good journalist and was fishing
If Ian Bailey did it and Jules knows, I'd imagine the guards would be willing to cut her a deal in order to get their man. I imagine this was offered to her or made clear when she was arrested years ago.
The guards were willing to pay or bribe their way to getting statements, so I imagine they tried ever trick in the book with Jules.
She could probably claim living in fear of her life for not coming forward, and if it turned out her partner was a man capable of caving a womans head in with a block im sure the courts would look favourable.
This all just theory though as obviously IB has never been charged or has a case to answer thus far.
I've been thinking along the same lines, her past relationship definitely throws up question marks IMO, but she could just as have been completely unaware.
Is Christopher Thomas the father of her children?
From the articles I can find, I don't know if the ages of the girls involved in the incidents match up to Jules daughters age.
Regardless, Jules was in a long term relationship and married to a man who turned out to be a serial paedophile committing some of the worst acts imaginable.
Thanks, perhaps the photo is a seperate time to the briquettes story. The dates could be wrong also, but if its listed as January I think an article I read said he was up there with Briquettes around the 27th.
It may have been a favourite of Sophie`s, left at the scene by a family member of friend in the months after the murder.
Well this is why I'm asking about a 'plea bargain' (not even sure that's the right technical term in this case). But is she is implicated in a cover-up and runs the risk of jail time herself if she fesses up, I can fully understand why she would stick to her 'Ian is innocent" line for the rest of her days.
According to this it is Bailey, scroll down at https://www.leparisien.fr/week-end/affaire-toscan-du-plantier-le-suspect-n-1-va-t-il-enfin-etre-juge-08-11-2017-7381737.php
The text under the photo translates to
January 1997 Ian Bailey, on the path leading to Sophie Toscan du Plantier's cottage. Journalist, he then covers the investigation for the local press.
Re Jules, I had great sympathy for her after watching the Jim Sheridan documentary and feel she came across very vulnerable and sincere. But a brief look at her background shows her to be a far more complicated character. Of her previous partners, at least one, the father of the girls, was abusive and was jailed for making, possessing and distributing child pornography, he was still working in Schull at the time of the murder, (the local 'ring' some people refer to on social media is not a drugs 'ring').
The point is, Jules is that character who, for whatever psychological reason, bounces from one abusive relationship to another. She stayed with Bailey after he assaulted her several times.
Is she capable of keeping a guilty secret for 25 years? I don't know but I wouldn't rule it out.
Who shot the photos, Jules? And where were they published? I have not see that photo before. i have read of it
Edit: I see one is from LE PARISIEN WEEK-END. Maybe they shot it
off topic I know, but I bought my mam one of them clocks when she lost her sight and had to be registered blind, it broke my heart having to buy it for her, she needed it but hated the fact that she had to use it..
The time of year most likely contributed to the investigation too. Her body was found at 10am on the 23rd of December. The pathologist didn't come until the 24th. I would guess that many aspects of the case that are time dependant, were affected. Everything stops here for Christmas. We saw even recently, vaccines for COVID19 were delivered in Ireland Dec 2020... they didn't start rolling them out until mid january. If something like a global pandemic doesn't stop the general go-slow for christmas, a murder in west cork won't either.
We know that people's memories fade, evidence degrades, weather washes away tracks over time. The sooner you gather statements and evidence, the higher the chance it is solved.
Radio or TV perhaps?
There was skidmarks pictured outside her house in the crime scene photos, when they were placed there we don't know.
Was it ever specified where it was found but? Most articles mention a field nearby rather than Sophies Garden.
An article I read said he went back up with Briquettes to Alfie Lyons 4 days after the murder, whether that is the time from the photo im not sure. I can't seem to make any briquettes out in the photo.
I don't know how this would have worked, as I don't fully know the legal system in this matter, but I guess this kind of 'plea bargain" could have been an option for Jules. However, I think that, let's suppose, if Jules Thomas wanted to get out of an abusive relationship or at times abusive with a man who drinks or on occasions drinks excessively, Jules could have had an option as well as a motive and reason to do exactly that, back then and there. So why and for what reason didn't she? ( Let's not forget, that she was also arrested by the Guards, but never charged... )
It's a question that still would linger today and would have to be asked and answered as well.
The wine bottle is a red herring, it was found months later and the lane had been cleared in the early days of the investigation.
I also think that if Ian did it, his partner Jules Thomas would have to have been an accessory of some sort, helping disposing of blood stained clothes, and knowing what had happened. It's hard to imagine Ian returning totally blood stained, and possibly wet from washing at Kealfadda bridge and hiding this from Jules and the daughters. I mean, it would have been different if Ian would have been a loner, also living alone. We also know from his partner Jules Thomas that Ian had a drinking habit and known to be violent at times towards her. So she could easily have freed herself of a violent relationship with him by talking to the Guards, but that didn't happen as well.
Just apropos of this, but as a theoretical question, how would a 'plea bargain' work in this sort of case? Could the 'accessory' approach the guards and say "I'll shop the killer and plead guilty to 'perverting the court of justice' or whatever myself if you guarantee I won't do any jail time" or would they just have to throw themselves on the mercy of the justice system and hope for the best.
It could be connected.
Or there were reports of holiday homes in the area being broken into and drinks cabinets raided... could be connected to that angle.
I had an alarm clock where you press button and it speaks the time... I got it so could know time without having to use any light / brightness.
Possibly this person had something similar.
Quite a while afterwards I'd say ,
gate was already gone and replaced, pier on the left and post box repaired.
How do you suppose an expensive bottle of French wines finds itself unopened in a ditch close to where she's murdered?
Incidentally, have you ever bought a bottle of expensive wine and gone on to loose it?
There are those clocks for blind people where they can tell the time with their fingers.
But again, this is something the Guards should have followed up back then. If there was the possibility of a car, then there could have been the possibility of tire tracks, etc...
Also, I missed some kind of re-enactment, some re-tracing of events that evening.
How long would it have taken Bailey to walk on foot from his house to Sophie's and how long by car?
Probably a silly question buf if that person was blind, how did they know what time it was?
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