Bailey not under formal surveillance, says Superintendent
The Chief Superintendent in charge of the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder investigation has told the High Court that Ian Bailey is not under formal surveillance.
Evidence resumed today in the former journalist's action against the State and Garda authorities for alleged wrongful arrest on suspicion of killing the French film producer in 1996.
Tom Hayes told the High Court he took up the position of Chief Superintendent in Bandon in 2010 and is now overseeing the Sophie Toscan du Plantier investigation.
He defended garden's decision to arrest Ian Bailey on suspicion of the murder in 1997 given that he had scratches on his body, a history of violence towards his partner Jules and had reportedly made informal admissions about the killing.
The Chief Superintendent said the journalist remains a "person of interest" to gardaí because of his own admission that he was missing from his house for a number of hours on the night of the murder and there is nobody who can corroborate his whereabouts.
However Superintendent Hayes denied there has been any formal surveillance of Mr Bailey in recent years – though he said incidents where he was sighted would have been put on the Pulse system.
