Ian Bailey says he will “fully cooperate” with Sophie Toscan du Plantier cold case review

The journalist has said that he hopes the review will clear his name.

After it was announced that the Gardaí would be opening a cold-case review into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, Ian Bailey has said that he will "fully cooperate" with the investigation. Sophie Toscan du Plantier was found dead outside her holiday home in West Cork in 1996. Mr Bailey has been arrested twice in connection with the murder, but he has never been charged with the crime in Ireland. In 2019, a French court convicted him of the murder in absentia and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. The Irish High Court, however, ruled that he could not be extradited. Mr Bailey has since told Newstalk that he hopes the review will clear his name. "If I can give any assistance, I will be doing that," he said. "I would hope there would there be an acknowledgement – if not the discovery of who was the murderer of Madame Sophie Toscan du Plantier – an acknowledgement that it wasn't me." The news of a review into the case was welcomed by Sophie's son Pierre Louis Baudey-Vignaud. He told The Irish Times: "I must say I am very happy there is to be a full cold case review and I have big expectations that hopefully the next few months will see developments which, for all of us, Ireland, France and my mother’s family, will finalise this story in a way that will finally get justice for my mother." It is understood that the review will begin next month in Bantry Garda Station, and will be focused on forensic evidence and technical examination. An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to anyone who may have any information on this crime to contact the Garda investigation team at Bantry Garda Station 027 20860 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111. Feature image: RollingNews.ie