Gardai are made aware of new evidence in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier case

The director of a five-part Sky documentary on the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has reported new details about the case to Gardai in Bantry.

Jim Sheridan, the Irish director of the series, told Gardai the name of a French man who was reportedly seen with Sophie on the afternoon before her murder. It has been suggested that he could have been staying with her at her home.

The man, who is currently in his fifties and lives in Paris, is known to some members of Sophie’s family, including her late husband, Daniel.

He was allegedly seen by Marie Farrell outside her shop as Sophie was buying a newspaper inside. She is believed to have identified the man after being shown a picture of him, and was interviewed for two hours at Skibbereen Garda Station last week about the new information. She had previously said that the man was suspect Ian Bailey, but later retracted her statement.

It had previously been thought that Sophie had been staying alone at the cottage in West Cork, but this information may change things. Jim Sheridan said that he didn’t know whether the information was significant or not.

Murder At The Cottage. The Search for Justice for Sophie, by Jim Sheridan.

Live & Exclusive at 9 PM on Sky Crime.pic.twitter.com/IrPgiB5YVq

— Sky Ireland (@SkyIreland) June 20, 2021

Interest in the case has resurfaced recently, with the Sky documentary, and another three-part series about the murder from Netflix set to be released on Wednesday, June 30.

Gardai have also asked for anyone with new information on the murder to contact them at Bantry Garda Station, while Garda Commissioner Drew Harris publicly said for the first time he would consider a review of the murder.

This news is welcomed by Ian Bailey, who has been suspected but never convicted in Ireland of the murder. He was convicted in absentia by a French court, but the verdict has never been recognised by the Irish court.