Ian Bailey to sue Netflix over new documentary series about Sophie Toscan du Plantier
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Ian Bailey to sue Netflix over new documentary series about Sophie Toscan du Plantier

IAN BAILEY is threatening to sue Netflix over a new series surrounding the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The series, Sophie: A Murder In West Cork, will be released on Wednesday, and centres around the French journalist's mysterious death in 1996.

It's the second documentary series in as many weeks about Ms Toscan du Plantier's death following Irish director Jim Sheridan's Murder At The Cottage, which was recently released on Sky.

Bailey objects to Netflix's inclusion of an interview that was conducted by Jennifer Forde on behalf of Lightbox for a series back in 2018.

In a letter to Netflix, he said: "The idea of the interview was 'sold' to be my Ms Forde as a 'teaser' for a Lightbox idea for a Netflix Production.

"As I explained at the time I was contractually bound to a Mr Jim Sheridan and his production."

Mr Bailey went on to say that he signed a release form "only on the basis the footage be used for a tease production".

"At no time did I agree to it being used in a finished documentary," he added.

The three-part series will examine the unsolved mystery surrounding the death of Ms Toscan du Plantier in the sleepy town of Schull in west Cork on December 23, 1996.

Bailey, who is the chief suspect, was arrested twice by gardaí on suspicion of her murder, but no charges were ever laid due to a lack of evidence.

Despite this, Bailey was convicted of murder by a French court after facing trial in absentia in 2019. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and a warrant was issued for his extradition.

In October 2020, a high court in Ireland rejected the notion of extradition.