Sophie Toscan of the Plantier case: the revelations of journalist Nick Foster<

"I dreamed that a woman had died in a strange place, far from any hand friend.Thus begins the poem a dream of death, signed William B.Yeats.Dark omen that this text consulted by Sophie Toscan du Plantier, the very night of her murder.On December 23, 1996, the lifeless body of this 38 -year -old Frenchwoman, wife of producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, was found a stone's throw from his second home, located in Cork County.His face is disfigured.His corpse has around forty injuries.The day before, the producer of documentaries, isolated in lands battered by the wind, set off through her garden to escape her attacker.The latter caught up with her and hit the nape of the neck before he crushed his skull with a concrete block.

For a long time, the investigation stones.The late arrival of the medical examiner prevents the death time from determining.Not to mention the intriguing disappearance of certain objects taken by the police.Among them, a barrier stained the victim's blood.The main suspect in the case, Ian Bailey, will never be the subject of a lawsuit in Ireland, the prosecutor arguing with a lack of evidence.We will have to wait for the French trial of Ian Bailey, open in 2019, that he was sentenced to 25 years in criminal imprisonment.A sentence that the now sixth year will never carry out, due to the refusal of extradition of the High Court of Ireland.

Two decades later, the number one suspect in the case is still free.The hope of one day seeing the truth burst out seems to be annoying.It was without counting on the intervention of Nick Foster, a journalist determined to shed light on this mysterious crime.In her called Sophie (1), published on November 18 at the editions of the archipelago, the author relates her multiple meetings with Ian Bailey, of which he would have become "the main opponent".

The reporter, who participated in the Sky Crime documentary on this news item, announced decisive revelations in the coming weeks.He subsequently stated on his Twitter account, this Monday, November 29, that a "unauthorized person was on the crime scene the day after the murder of Sophie"."What I'm talking about has happened between 11:10 am and 11:55 am," he said.Before teaser of future revelations: "the clock turns".

Since then, the reporter has revealed that the murderer would have stolen the silver watch around the victim's wrist, and would have kept it "as a trophy".He also said in an article by Irish Mirror that a policeman allowed the murderer to access the crime scene, then held back the investigation.He hopes that this unpublished information will allow, once and for all, to complete the Sophie Toscan of the Plantier affair.

"Mother and daughter"

Madame Figaro.- Who was Sophie Toscan of the Plantier? Nick Foster.- What touched me the most was that she was both mother and daughter.During the French trial of Ian Bailey, which took place over two years ago, I saw Sophie Toscan's parents for the first time.Her mother was moving in a wheelchair.Her father was incredibly sad and elegant.Her son, Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud, was also present.They wore this great responsibility to defend Sophie's memory.This suffering, they have felt it every day for 25 years.This is that, for me, Sophie Toscan du Plantier: the love that transparerates on the faces of his loved ones.On December 23, 1996, Irish police discovered the lifeless body of this Frenchwoman, wife of producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, a few steps from his secondary residence.How did you come to be interested in this case? I discovered this news item on television, like millions of people.I was first intrigued by the fact that Sophie Toscan du Plantier had left an anthology of poetry open to the table of her kitchen, the night of the murder.The poem that appeared on these pages, thinking of death, evokes a young woman found lifeless in a distant country.I wondered how Sophie Toscan du Plantier had been able to indicate what was going to happen a few hours later.And then, in November 2014, a friend explained to me that Ian Bailey was going to appear at the Dublin court.He wanted to file a complaint against the Irish Police for Corruption.I told myself that it was the ideal time to try to approach it.It was not difficult - quite the contrary.He even invited me to his home.

On video, "Sophie: the Toscan of the Plantier affair", the trailer

"Puppets at the end of a thread"

During your investigation, you have met Ian Bailey, this English journalist who lives a few kilometers from the former home of Sophie Toscan du Plantantis.How would you describe this enigmatic man? Ian Bailey constantly speaks of himself.It practically never asks you any questions.However, she is a warm person.I remember the first time I went to his house in September 2015.When I arrived, he was preparing Yorkshire Pudding (a dish from northern England, editor's note).I asked him if he was missing items.This was no longer possible when he became the main suspect in murder.He replied: "I no longer need to write on this case, because now I can manipulate journalists like puppets at the end of a thread.He said it detached, while he was cooking apples in the oven.He clearly indicated that he was manipulating me.

At the start of the case, Ian Bailey tried to divert suspicion, especially through his last articles.He accused Daniel Toscan of the Plantier of being behind the death of his wife.How was the producer exempt? Daniel Toscan du Plantier was in Toulouse the night of the murder of his wife.It is impossible that he has perpetrated this crime.As for the thesis of Ian Bailey, according to which he would have engaged a hitman, she is not very credible.What kind of hitman would arrive at the victim's home and would strike it with a concrete block?It's whimsical.Unfortunately, we have left Ian Bailey to write on the case.He had become a kind of celebrity, VIP, clown too.It was problematic.We must not forget that Sophie's family suffers daily.My book is a plea, a "I accuse", and I think it's the only way to approach this case.

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The confession in Ian Bailey prison

Do you think Ian Bailey is guilty? For me, there is no doubt that Ian Bailey is guilty of this crime.After the publication of my book in English, in May, people wrote to me to inform me of information, sometimes confidential and anonymous.I notably learned of an essential confession of Ian Bailey.This took place in prison, in the early 2000s, at the time when he served a three-week sentence for domestic violence, perpetrated against his ex-partner, Jules Thomas.The problem is that this confession does not appear in the Irish police file.In addition, French justice has never received this information.This is why I decided to reveal it in a series of tweets, with the agreement of Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud.

What does Ian Bailey relate in this confession? He explains that, that night, he tried to visit a neighbor of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, his friend Alfie Lyons.The latter would not have answered when he hit the door.Ian Bailey, who was then in intoxication, would then have seen the light by Sophie's window.He would have struck the producer's door.When she opened him, he saw a bottle of wine in the entrance, which he caught.Sophie Toscan du Plantier would have asked her to return it to him.But he would have refused to let go, and struck her with.Then he killed her, before throwing the bottle in the wild, about a kilometer from the crime scene.Ian Bailey has several times confessed the murder of Sophie Toscan from Plantier to her neighbors from Schull.How is this confession more important than the others? Ian Bailey declared in prison that he had found a bottle of wine, and threw it in the surroundings.However, only the murderer could know the existence of this bottle.She was found in 1997, by a young man who worked with her father in the surroundings.No one other than this family knew the existence of this object.How could Ian Bailey know her, if he was not the one who killed Sophie Toscan of the Plantier?In 2002, just after having read this confession, the Irish authorities went to question the boy who had found the bottle a second time.Why go see the same testimony twice, if not to check an intuition?Only downside, after 2002, this testimony does not appear in the police file, and has never been transmitted to the French authorities.

The flaws of the investigation

This police investigation has many other flaws.A barrier bearing the traces of blood of the victim disappeared from the police premises, the crime scene was not sufficiently protected and the medical examiner arrived too late to give the exact time of the death.How to explain it? At first, I had a Manichean vision of the case.Everything seemed to indicate that the Irish prosecutor did not want a trial.He always asked for more evidence of Ian Bailey's guilt, and questioned those provided to him.In parallel, the police seemed to do what they could to achieve a trial.But the information I received pushes me to question this vision of the file.I start to seriously question myself about the course of the investigation.

For what reasons? First of all, the police failed to keep the evidence.The bottle of wine, just like the barrier stained with blood, have disappeared from its premises.Irish authorities have also concealed information to French justice.I am about to make decisive revelations in this subject in a few weeks.I will explain why this case did not lead to a trial in Ireland, and what happened just before and after the crime.What I can tell you is that obviously, M.Bailey does not have her tongue in his pocket.

A first Irish trial?

Do you think these revelations will allow you to open a first trial in Ireland? It is possible.There is evidence and testimonies that were not on the table six months ago.This case will be completed.But we will have to analyze the actions of the Irish police with much more critical eyes.Has Ian Bailey killed Sophie Toscan from Plantier?Yes, there is no doubt.Did Irish police still act in an honorable way?No way.If Ian Bailey was able to take advantage of his freedom in Ireland, to make fun of France, from the memory of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, and her son, it is because the Irish police did not do his job - at leastsome of its members.

There is another important character in this story, that of Jules Thomas.You have met the former partner of Ian Bailey several times, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship at the time of the murder.How would you describe it? When I met her, I was quite disturbed.Jules Thomas was the victim of extreme violence from Ian Bailey.She had to undergo surgical operations, from which she still carries the scars.However, when he began to recite his poems to him - he often wrote - she put a look of adoration on him.Ian Bailey neglected the great violence he used against his partner, and claimed that his attitude was involuntary.I have long wondered about the reasons why she had stayed so long under her grip (they are now separated).I leave it to him to answer this question.What I want to know is how the murder of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier happened, and why the culprit still strolls in the Landes.

(1) Her name was Sophie, from Nick Foster, published on November 18, 2021, ed.of the archipelago, 352 p., 22 €

*This article, initially published on November 19, 2021, has been updated.

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