Ian Bailey, the main suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has died at 66 due to severe heart conditions.

Who was Ian Bailey?

Ian Bailey, the central figure in the investigation into the murder of French producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has passed away at the age of 66 in Cork. His death was attributed to a severe heart condition, and he had been considered a candidate for surgery.

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His solicitor, Frank Buttimer, expressed his sorrow over the news, stating that he had been in communication with Bailey in the past five days but was unaware of the terminal nature of his illness. Bailey faced a debilitating heart condition, experiencing cardiac events prior to Christmas. Despite being a potential candidate for surgical intervention, his health did not permit the procedure.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier, 39, was discovered badly beaten outside her holiday home in Schull, West Cork, in December 1996. In May 2019, a Paris court convicted Bailey of her murder in absentia, imposing a 25-year sentence. Notably, Bailey had no legal representation during the trial and denounced it as a farce.

In a legal battle, the High Court in Ireland rejected French authorities’ attempt to extradite Bailey in October 2020. The court ruled against his surrender to France after a European Arrest Warrant was issued in 2019. Throughout the tumultuous legal proceedings, Bailey maintained his vehement denial of any involvement in Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s death.

Born in Manchester, Bailey initially pursued a career in journalism before relocating to West Cork in the mid-1990s. There, he explored diverse interests, including poetry, gardening, and running a pizza stall with his former partner.

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Ian Bailey’s death marks the conclusion of a complex and controversial chapter in the investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.