Ian Bailey cremated
Ian Bailey, chief suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was cremated in Cork this week following his sudden death.
Bailey, 66, died of a suspected heart attack while out walking in Bantry, West Cork, last Sunday.
Funeral plans were not announced publicly, and no notice of Mr Bailey’s death was posted on Rip.ie.
It was widely known that Mr Bailey had been in poor health in recent months.
It is reported that he was cremated at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy and that his ashes will now be sent to his sister in the UK.
The Manchester native was convicted of the infamous murder of Ms du Plantier in his absence in 2019 by a court in Paris receiving a 25 year sentence.
He was never officially charged in Ireland.
Despite his conviction in France, Mr Bailey has maintained his innocence since first becoming a suspect in 1997.
Ms du Plantier was found bludgeoned to death near her Holiday home in Schull in West Cork on 23 December 1996.
Mr Bailey, who lived nearby at the time, was the first journalist to report on the murder.
In 2020, Mr Bailey’s extradition to France was blocked by Irish courts for the third time.
Following the news of his death, the Association for Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier said it would continue its fight for truth and justice for Ms du Plantier and her family.
In a statement, the group said it is confident that new evidence and new witness accounts will come to light in the future and allow An Garda Síochána to finally close the case.
At Monday’s full meeting of Cork County Council, Mr Bailey’s death was mentioned in the votes of condolence portion of the session.
Independent Carrigaline Cllr Marcia D’Alton said she felt it appropriate that the chamber would remark on Mr Bailey’s passing.
“All I know about the tragic case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is what has been reported in the various media,” said Cllr D’Alton.
“It was a flagship tragedy of my youth.
“However, I do know that one of the fundamental principles of criminal law and a constitutional guarantee is that every person accused of a criminal offence is innocent until proven guilty,” she added.
Ms D’Alton went on to point out that there was never enough evidence to prove Ian Bailey’s guilt in the murder, yet he lived 30 years of his life “under that shadow of guilt”.
“We obviously do not know who is responsible for the heinous murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier but should there be any chance that State involvement caused this man to live out 30 years of his life under the shadow of suspicion, then I think it appropriate that we recognise that that too is a tragedy,” said Cllr D’Alton.