NetFlix Documentary - Sophie: A Murder in West Cork

TV & Film TV & Film: Chat / Discussions
, , ,
21

Episode 4

2007 - Sophie’s friends and relatives form an association for justice

2015 - Bailey, who has acquired a law degree, decides to prosecute the Irish State for false arrest by police plotting against him.

The case lasted 64 days and included claims by Marie Ferrell that her original evidence (Kalfadda Bridge) was “assisted” by the police and that reports of her intimidation by Bailey were untrue. NetFlix had reported that but, IIRC, they didn’t report the evidence of (turncoat) Martin Graham, planted by the police to befriend Bailey and obtain evidence. Drugs, cash and tapes were involved, leading to the exposure of extensive illegal practices by the police force. This could have been helpful to Bailey and damaging to the state but the case judge ruled out most of the evidence as outside the statute of limitations, which left only one decision to be made - was Marie Ferrell now telling the truth or not?

The judge came down on the side of the State and Bailey was left with a 7m euro bill. The police, although not branded as “corrupt”, were seen as incompetent.

In the Sky documentary, Bailey brings up the reported appearance of a speeding blue Ford Fiesta at 7:30 AM in the the vicinity of Sophie’s house on the morning of the murder. It is mentioned in only 1 witness statement and was never followed up.

In France, the case against Bailey starts - it is based on all the evidence that the Irish police have acquired and passed to the French.

Bailey gets very, very publicly drunk on Jules 70th birthday.

1 Like
22

Episode 5

This concentrates on the French “in absentia” trial of Ian Bailey based solely on circumstantial evidence - few Irish witnesses or representatives attended. There is far too much in the Sky documentary to be commented on here and we are presented with Bailey’s reactions in Ireland as the trial unfolds in France - none of this was in the NetFlix documentary.

One French witness, Agnes Thomas, claimed that a self-professed poet from Cork phoned Sophie in France in the weeks before she left for Ireland. Bailey? There’s no way of knowing.

(1) The court heard evidence from a report written by two French psychologists tasked with making a “personality assessment” of Bailey. The experts, Katy Lorenzo-Regreny and Jean Michel Masson, never met Bailey and instead based their report on his diaries and his interviews given to the local gardai. They concluded Bailey had a “particularly complex and intelligent personality” but said he was a narcissist, violent and impulsive and self-obsessed. The authors of the report added Bailey had a great need to be recognised. It said Bailey had the traits of someone with a personality disorder, but that there was no evidence he was psychotic, the court heard.

In one diary entry referred to earlier in the trial, Bailey allegedly admits assaulting his partner, writing: “I can’t say what happens to me after I’ve drunk a bottle of whisky, two pints, wine and several shots of tequila.”

Looking at the case from a French point of view, Bailey convicted himself - he is known for his bad temper and his violence against women has been recorded. His diaries are full of sexual violence against women. He lied about his alibi and his knowledge of Sophie. He put himself at the centre of the investigation into Sophie’s murder from the moment her body was reported found, a known trait of psycho-killers.

(1) Man accused of killing French woman could have personality disorder, court hears | Shropshire Star

Verdict - Guilty; Penalty - 22 years Imprisonment.

The French have failed to extradite Bailey, the Irish have closed the case on Bailey and Jules has ordered Bailey out of her house.

IMO, IB killed Sophie. He’s been lucky … and clever … and got away with it. He’s enjoyed the notoriety, even "fame, which her death brought him.

But … he cannot be placed at the scene of the crime, so, AFAIK, he would not be prosecuted under UK law. The apparent lack of material evidence at the scene of the crime is unusual. Somebody had made their way to the house, Sophie had made her way to the gate, a struggle ensued and yet only blood from Sophie was found, while the gate, somehow, went “missing”.

If Sophie had lived, she may well have been, by now, a granny in a rocking chair, staring out from her house at the Fastnet lighthouse, knitting woollens to ward off the winter cold.

So sad … :frowning_face:

2 Likes
23

@Omah , brilliant synopsis, I’m of the same opinion about Bailey, like I said up thread how not to catch a killer is all that can be said imo.

1 Like
24

You were right … :+1:

I’m going to follow-up the viewings with some reading.

If Bailey DIDN’T do it, who else had the MMO … :question:

1 Like
25

One thing that was weird in Ep 5 was Bailey filming himself pulling his own tooth out with a pair of pliers in a garden shed … :tooth: