Ireland Gardaí examine 1990s event footage in Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder inquiry
Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a French woman and film producer, was murdered in County Cork, and her body was found on 23 December 1996 on the laneway leading to her holiday home at Dreenane near Toormore. Ian Bailey, a man, was the chief suspect and was convicted in absentia at the Cour d'Assises in Paris in 2019, where a 1997 witness statement from Mark McCarthy was entered into evidence. As of January 2024, gardaí from the Serious Crime Review team were examining 16 Hi8 tapes of mid-1990s west Cork cultural events to see whether they show the victim with Bailey. Bailey died the week before the report was published, having always denied knowing the victim.
- Reported
- Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí are examining hours of video footage from mid-1990s cultural events in west Cork as part of the murder inquiry.
- Other details
- The victim was Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a French woman and film producer.
- She bought the holiday home at Dreenane in 1993.
- Ian Bailey, a man, was the chief suspect in the case.
- In his 1997 statement, Mark McCarthy said he saw Ian Bailey speaking to the victim at the 1995 storytelling festival on Cape Clear.
- Ian Bailey died the week before the report was published and always denied knowing the victim.
- Where
- Her body was found on the laneway leading to her holiday home at Dreenane near Toormore.
- The footage includes a storytelling festival on Cape Clear and art exhibition openings in Skibereen and Schull.
- When
- Her body was found on 23 December 1996.
- The footage was recorded between 1993 and 1995.
- Investigation
- Photojournalist Stephen Bean handed 16 90-minute Hi8 video tapes to the Serious Crime Review team.
- The Serious Crime Review team is re-examining the original investigation into the 1996 murder.
- Gardaí want to check the footage because of long-circulating rumours that the victim met Ian Bailey at an art exhibition opening during a summer visit.
- In court
- Ian Bailey was tried in absentia at the Cour d'Assises in Paris in 2019 and convicted.
- Mark McCarthy's 1997 statement was entered into evidence at that trial.
11 statements extracted from the articles
- whatGardaí investigating the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier have started examining hours of video footage from cultural events in west Cork. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe footage includes a storytelling festival on Cape Clear and art exhibition openings in Skibereen and Schull. (irishtimes.com)
- whereSophie Toscan du Plantier bought a holiday home at Dreenane near Toormore in 1993. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe footage was recorded between 1993 and 1995. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe victim's body was found on the laneway leading to her holiday home on 23 December 1996. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationPhotojournalist Stephen Bean handed 16 90-minute Hi8 video tapes to the Serious Crime Review team. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Serious Crime Review team is re-examining the original investigation into the 1996 murder. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí want to examine the footage because of long-circulating rumours that the victim met Ian Bailey at an art exhibition opening. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr McCarthy's statement was entered into evidence at Ian Bailey's trial in absentia at the Cour d'Assises in Paris in 2019. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA witness, Mark McCarthy, said in a 1997 statement that he saw Ian Bailey speaking to the victim at the 1995 storytelling festival on Cape Clear. (irishtimes.com)
- otherIan Bailey died the week before this article was published and always denied knowing the victim. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 26 Jan2024Gardaí examining footage from Cork cultural events to see if it shows Ian Bailey with Sophie Toscan du Plantier
Reports that gardaí have begun examining 16 Hi8 tapes of 1993 to 1995 west Cork events, handed over by Stephen Bean, to see if they show Sophie Toscan du Plantier with Ian Bailey. Adds the witness statement of Mark McCarthy and the background of Bailey's conviction in absentia in Paris in 2019. The article gives the date the body was found (23 December 1996), not the date of the murder.
victim, Sophie Toscan du Plantier, female, French, non-irishSophie Toscan du Plantierconvicted, Ian Bailey, male, named, irish (judged from name)Ian Bailey