Vivienne Clarke
The people responsible for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier have not come forward because they are living behind “omertà”, Ian Bailey has said.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today show, Mr Bailey said he lived in hope and was trying to be optimistic that one day someone would come forward with information about the murder. There were still questions to be answered, he said.
On Tuesday the State said it would not appeal the High Court's decision refusing to surrender Mr Bailey to the French authorities to serve a 25-year prison sentence imposed by a French court for the murder of Ms du Plantier 24 years ago.
Mr Bailey has always maintained that he had nothing to do with the death of Ms du Plantier.
He said he continues to be happy living in west Cork, the “most beautiful place in the world.”
However, it was not easy “to turn off the tap,” and coming to terms with what had happened was going to be like “a slow dropping penny.”
Mr Bailey said he was very grateful to his partner Jules for her support and also his legal team.
One had to accept one’s fate and there were a lot of things he could not change, he said. He understood the State had to take the action they did.
Du Plantier family
Mr Bailey said he did not view the State’s decision not to appeal the High Court ruling as a victory, saying there were “only losers in this case, the French family and myself”.
He said he could understand the family’s belief in his guilt as they had been told that from the beginning.
Though he considered going to France, his legal advice was that he would not get a fair trial there.
Mr Bailey said he lived in hope that one day the truth would come out and that he tries “to be optimistic”. He did not know how he would pay the €7.2 million legal judgment made against him. “I don’t know what happens to that debt.”
His coping mechanisms would be to stay positive and creative and “generally keeping busy.”
If new information were to come to light “obviously I would welcome that. The secret is to never give up hope.”
